English · Phrasal verb Attested

back away

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To move in a direction opposite to that which one is facing, keeping one's attention on the thing in front being avoided.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Rời đi theo hướng ngược lại với hướng đang đối mặt

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

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 a

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To cease supporting something; to pretend one has never supported something.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Ngừng ủng hộ một thứ gì đó

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “back away” mean?

To move in a direction opposite to that which one is facing, keeping one's attention on the thing in front being avoided.

Is “back away” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.