backward 1 of 2

adverb

ˈbak-wərd How to pronounce backward (audio)
variants or backwards
Definition of backwardnext
1
as in back
toward the rear looking backward, we could see the town receding in the distance

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in around
toward the opposite direction the loud noise prompted him to glance backward to see what was happening

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

backward

2 of 2

adjective

1
as in reverse
directed, turned, or done toward the back a backward turn on ice skates is hard to learn because you can't see where you're going

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in withdrawn
not comfortable around people curiously, the quiet, backward man opened up when around other introverts

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of backward
Adverb
Jamie Squire / Getty From 2023 through 2025, however, the Chiefs ranked only 10th in offensive EPA, taking a significant step backward. — Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026 And so, as everybody’s running backwards, that must be when Heidi was caught. — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Adjective
Wild Land Instead of rising straight up from the truck bed like the Wingman/Safari Cruiser design, the Pickupmate Trunk has a multidirectional design that shifts slightly backward before unfurling dramatically forward over the truck cab. — New Atlas, 8 Oct. 2026 What is likely is point deductions, enforced looking forward, not backward. — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for backward
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backward
  1. back
  2. around
  3. reverse
  4. withdrawn
  5. rearward
  6. down
  7. reversed
  8. shy
Adverb
  • Nebraska native Sydney Loofe was looking for love, or at least for some fun, while scrolling through Tinder back in 2017.
    — Samantha Bergeson, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The drums are constantly switching, the gait galloping one way and then swerving back again, as if the music could go anywhere.
    — Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of back
Adverb
  • The venue this time around was an equally airy, heavenly, pale-toned 19th-century apartment in Paris’s ninth arrondissement, a bread roll’s throw away from the original Rose Bakery.
    — Mark Holgate, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Unlike the initial push to spread money around to bet on would-be AI winners, there is not enough to go around at this stage.
    — Zev Fima, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of around
Adjective
  • One option when connecting a device to the open Internet is to route traffic through a reverse proxy, instead of using the default port 32400.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
  • El Niño occurs naturally every few years, when the Pacific trade winds that typically blow westward — from the Americas to Southeast Asia — either slow down or reverse course.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of reverse
Adjective
  • In an era of ball-to-feet No 10s and withdrawn strikers, Welbeck stays high up the pitch, runs the channels and occupies defenders.
    — Liam Tharme, New York Times, 27 July 2026
  • The withdrawn earnings are taxed as ordinary income, the Treasury said.
    — Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 11 July 2026
Definition of withdrawn
Adverb
  • The floor plan centers around a single- or dual-seat lounge that faces rearward to provide views through the open entryway.
    — C.C. Weiss May 07, New Atlas, 7 May 2026
  • Two of their toes point inward and two point rearward with sharp pointed claws.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 6 Nov. 2025
Definition of rearward
Adverb
  • Charlotte was down by 35 points after three quarters, and the entire fourth quarter amounted to garbage time.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
  • But once those bills stop after age 5, the lower rent pulls the long-run totals down sharply.
    — Martie Bowser, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of down
Adjective
  • The first pulses concentrate enough energy into a tiny spot to heat a small region and create a reversed magnetic area.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026
  • It’s not yet confirmed if the reversed look that was seen initially will be released at retail.
    — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 6 May 2026
Definition of reversed
Adjective
  • Overall, Miami is averaging just shy of seven penalties per game.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Phoebe Bridgers has never been shy about professing her love for mainstream country music.
    — Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of shy

Browse Nearby Words

backups
backward
backward-looking
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Backward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backward. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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