BACKS (UP OR AWAY) Synonyms: 38 Similar and Opposite Words

backs (up or away)

verb

present tense third-person singular of back (up or away)

as in withdraws

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for backs (up or away)

Verb

If a candidate withdraws after that July 13 deadline, the party does not have any way to nominate a replacement.

— Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 6 July 2026
Al Gore, John McCain suspends his campaign for the Republican nomination for president, and Bill Bradley withdraws from the race for the Democratic nomination.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 July 2026

Definition of withdraws

Verb

When Aries pushes harder, Cancer retreats further, and neither feels understood.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026
As natural gas output partially retreats, global seaborne coal shipments to the region have risen, even if China and India are insourcing more domestic coal.

— Gaurav Sharma, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026

Definition of retreats

Verb

The title refers to a story-fable about a horse that runs away, only to turn up at a time of crisis.

— Hillel Italie, Fortune, 1 June 2026
Garcia runs away screaming toward a third officer and drops the stick before he’s pushed down into a bed of bushes growing along the street curb.

— Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026

Definition of runs away

Verb

Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka, the world’s first female prime minister, retires, and her daughter, Pres.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 July 2026
The short version is that after defeating the Kilrathi at the climax of Wing Commander 3, Mark Hamill’s Christopher Blair retires to a backwater world to live out a life in peace and obscurity.

— Lee Hutchinson, ArsTechnica, 3 July 2026

Definition of retires

Verb

When Krem takes off in Kara’s spacecraft, a rusted hulk that’s like an interplanetary RV, and shoots her beloved dog Krypto with a lethal tranquilizer that will result in agonizing death in three days, Kara joins Ruthye on her revenge quest.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 24 June 2026
There is a similar silence after Maggie’s mother takes off.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 June 2026

Definition of takes off

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

backs (up)

backs (up or away)

back talk

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Backs (up or away).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backs%20%28up%20or%20away%29. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of backs (up or away)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

tacit

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes