Synonyms for back away

Grammar : Verb

Spell : bak

Phonetic Transcription : bæk

Définition of back away

Origin : Old English bæc "back," from Proto-Germanic *bakam (cf. Old Saxon and Middle Dutch bak, Old Frisian bek), with no known connections outside Germanic.
The cognates mostly have been ousted in this sense in other modern Germanic languages by words akin to Modern English ridge (cf. Danish ryg, German Rücken). Many Indo-European languages show signs of once having distinguished the horizontal back of an animal (or a mountain range) from the upright back of a human. In other cases, a modern word for "back" may come from a word related to "spine" (Italian schiena, Russian spina) or "shoulder, shoulder blade" (Spanish espalda, Polish plecy).
To turn (one's) back on (someone or something) "ignore" is from early 14c. Behind (someone's) back "clandestinely" is from late 14c.
To know (something) like the back of one's hand, implying familiarity, is first attested 1893. The first attested use of the phrase is from a dismissive speech made to a character in Robert Louis Stevenson's "Catriona":
If I durst speak to herself, you may be certain I would never dream of trusting it to you; because I know you like the back of my hand, and all your blustering talk is that much wind to me.
The story, a sequel to "Kidnapped," has a Scottish setting and context, and the back of my hand to you was noted in the late 19th century as a Scottish expression meaning "I will have nothing to do with you" [e.g. "Jamieson's Dictionary of the Scottish Language"]. In English generally, the back of (one's) hand has been used to imply contempt and rejection since at least 1300. Perhaps the connection of a menacing dismissal is what made Stevenson choose that particular anatomical reference.

verb move away backwards

Example sentences :

He tried to back away from her, oblivious to the fact that by his hold on her he dragged her after him.
Extract from : « White Fang » by Jack London

Lip-lip essayed to back away, but White Fang struck him hard, shoulder to shoulder.
Extract from : « White Fang » by Jack London

Beauty Smith, his hands still behind him, began to back away.
Extract from : « White Fang » by Jack London

He had a shrinking will; his instinct in an emergency was to back away from things.
Extract from : « Changing Winds » by St. John G. Ervine

"I'll do nothing of the sort," said Travail, starting to back away.
Extract from : « Made in Tanganyika » by Carl Richard Jacobi

He pointed it and started to back away to the tree behind him.
Extract from : « The Boy Land Boomer » by Ralph Bonehill

Link Merwell was also agitated, and for the instant tried to back away.
Extract from : « Dave Porter in the Gold Fields » by Edward Stratemeyer

He tried the right, and had to back away from a furniture van that had no business to be there.
Extract from : « The Four Million » by O. Henry

Then, on hands and knees, they saw him back away from the crest.
Extract from : « Eight Keys to Eden » by Mark Irvin Clifton

They stumbled all over one another in trying to back away from her.
Extract from : « Prudence Says So » by Ethel Hueston

Antonyms for back away

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019