back away

English

Verb

back away (third-person singular simple present backs away, present participle backing away, simple past and past participle backed away)

1. (intransitive) To move in a direction opposite to that which one is facing, keeping one's attention on the thing in front being avoided.
   • 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter I, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:

     Thinks I to myself, “Sol, you're run off your course again. This is a rich man's summer ‘cottage’ […].” So I started to back away again into the bushes. But I hadn't backed more'n a couple of yards when I see something so amazing that I couldn't help scooching down behind the bayberries and looking at it.

   • 2023 February 8, Andrew Mourant, “A serious shuttle service with options to Taunton and beyond”, in RAIL, number 976, page 30:

     The WSR has remained in touch with GO-OP, despite the group deciding to back away from the project in the short term.

2. (intransitive) To cease supporting something; to pretend one has never supported something.

Synonyms

• retreat

Translations

to retreat, keeping the attention in front

• Catalan: recular (ca)
• Finnish: perääntyä (fi), peruuttaa (fi)
• French: reculer (fr), faire marche arrière (fr)