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.
"It's as if we're going backwards rather than forwards," she said.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
Doncic answered with a no-look, backwards bounce pass.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
Edwar has been advocating for women's causes for over 50 years and her assessment is gloomy: "Twenty-three years after Saddam Hussein's regime was brought down, it seems we are going backwards regarding women's rights."
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
She tripped backwards over a wooden platform, and I was surprised that she was able to get up, but the biggest surprise was how it affected her emotionally.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
Mama stood and stumbled backwards, hitting the wall of the sukkah.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
