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.
In France - one of a number of countries where genetic testing is illegal without a medical prescription due to privacy laws - the government has condemned the decision as "a step backwards".
From BBC
Doncic nailed a step-back three from the top of the key, held his follow through and hopped backwards on one leg.
From Los Angeles Times
"This is a backwards step for Liverpool," said former Premier League goalkeeper Rob Green on 5 Live.
From BBC
He published it at age 59, when his own adventures in nervous-system regulation allowed him to bend his formerly stiff body backwards into a plow pose.
He edged backwards -straight into the largest mound.
From Literature
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.
