back away
Idioms-
Walk backward, as in He cautiously backed away from the fire .
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Gradually retreat, withdraw, as in Since he couldn't convince his colleagues, he's backing away from his original idea . Both usages employ the verb back in the sense of “retreat,” dating from the late 1400s. Also see back down ; back out .
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.
"The claims never held up, and this outcome makes clear that we will not back away from defending ourselves against baseless lawsuits."
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
Will Robinson stands up and wraps his arms around Sandoval, seemingly to get him to back away from Victoria Robinson.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
"She didn't back away from any tough moments and turned games around when she was struggling."
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026
Due in large part to the release of video footage showing McGlockton starting to back away, Drejka was eventually charged with manslaughter.
From Slate ● Jun. 4, 2026
She could tuck it all back away and not think about it, she could...
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
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.
