backing (up or away)

Definition of backing (up or away)next
present participle of back (up or away)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for backing (up or away)
Verb
  • The video shows a black SUV speeding over a median and driving toward a man who is running away.
    — Lekan Oyekanmi, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Walker arrives at the scene and notices a man running away with a gun in hand.
    — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • With clients walking out and a competitor putting the agency’s standing at risk, the siblings scramble to save both their income and what their mother built.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The table furthest to the left (when walking out of the main dining room) is the crown jewel.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Bass pushed for a bill in the state Legislature that would have reduced taxes on apartment buildings but ended up withdrawing it.
    — Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • San Antonio police have advised bank customers to stay alert when withdrawing cash and watch for anyone who may be following them.
    — Jacob Beltran, San Antonio Express-News, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Officials would also have to consider compensation for carriage owners and assistance with retiring horses, but no payouts are guaranteed.
    — Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The retiring congressman has at times bucked House Democratic leadership in voting with Republicans.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • There is a lot of money in the market, but some of it appears to be receding and the number of commissions is coming down.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Borasov’s patchy hair, already receding into lines of code when the movie first introduces Sutskever at the age of 17.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The pope paused for a moment and waved to the crowd before retreating into his apartment in the Apostolic Palace.
    — Colleen Barry, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • In a world riven by democratic backsliding and polluted with AI slop, there’s something seductive about the idea of retreating to a wild, unnavigable place where no one can follow you—because you’ll be submerged up to your eyeballs.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • As good as Oliver Stone is at pulling out incredible performances from his male stars, the same isn’t always true for his leading ladies.
    — Michael Douglas, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Stack slices together to make your own roll-ups, perfect for pulling out between classes.
    — Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The turmoil from Moore’s Michigan conduct continues to linger, 10 months later, but the process of clearing out his office in Schembechler Hall went remarkably swift.
    — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The nor'easter that has been bringing bands of rain and heavy winds to New York, New Jersey and the Tri-State Area is finally clearing out.
    — Justin Lewis, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Backing (up or away).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backing%20%28up%20or%20away%29. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!