backwards
Britishadverb
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towards the rear
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with the back foremost
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in the reverse of usual order or direction
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to or towards the past
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into a worse state
the patient was slipping backwards
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towards the point of origin
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informal to make a special effort, esp in order to please
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informal to understand completely
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ole: I surprised you by saying I would have been an accountant, but I used to read and speak backwards, so I was quite good at that - reading backwards.
From BBC
Like Vecna, “Stranger Things” is a different beast than other shows gazing backwards through rose-tinted lenses because Hawkins is an idealized version of Reagan’s fabled “Morning in America” era.
From Salon
"I would walk to the end of the earth, backwards, forwards, upside down, barefoot, to make sure my kids have a better future," says Ricky.
From BBC
In fact, defending in some ways has taken a massive step backwards, as more and more coaches concentrate solely on possession.
From BBC
“I think we are going backwards,” said Hong, who was born in South Korea.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
