Synonyms

back water

Idioms

Reverse a position, take back a statement, or otherwise retreat, as in We're sure that the senator will back water on raising taxes. This term literally refers to a vessel that moves backward in the water because its oars, paddles, or paddlewheel are reversed. It soon was transferred to other kinds of reversal. [Second half of 1700s]

Example Sentences

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back water

Traditionally, logs made of coir - coconut husk - have been imported from South-East Asia to reduce erosion, hold back water and also re-wet degraded peatland.

From BBC ● May 15, 2026

The cities will need to carefully treat garbage and other waste materials to get back water and create more soil for farming.

From NewsForKids.net ● Feb. 12, 2024

Clogged gutters can back water up onto your roof, causing mold and damage.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 10, 2023

Fish and Wildlife Service sets minimum water levels to keep endangered c'waam and koptu, or suckerfish, alive, and Reclamation said it will hold back water so it can meet those minimum levels.

From Salon ● Feb. 25, 2023

“If any of you can’t make it, just wait here. I’ll have them send back water from camp.”

From "Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two" by Joseph Bruchac

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

back water

Example Sentences

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