back away

Idioms  

1. Walk backward, as in He cautiously backed away from the fire .

2. 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 .

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Example Sentences

“He told me that everyone backed away from the project because he was the new kid,” says Merritt.

From Los Angeles Times

After his FBI appointment, Bongino backed away from those views, saying that in the past he was “paid” for expressing controversial opinions.

From Salon

As she spoke, Whoopi folded the magical towel, laid it down in a magical resting place and backed away, blowing on Jones as she took slow steps toward her abandoned chair.

From Los Angeles Times

But the survey also showed that adoption among larger organizations declined over the summer, as some businesses backed away from pilot programs.

From Barron's

A flurry of AI announcements didn’t stop the stock selloff, but don’t bet on Big Tech companies backing away from their investments while private money continues to flow in.

From Barron's