variants
or backwards
1
as in back
toward the rear
looking backward, we could see the town receding in the distance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in around
toward the opposite direction
the loud noise prompted him to glance backward to see what was happening
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in withdrawn
not comfortable around people
curiously, the quiet, backward man opened up when around other introverts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of backward
Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 7 Nov. 2025
Raiders defensive end Tyree Wilson grabbed him and tackled him, but in the process lifted his own feet off the ground and fell on Dobbins’ leg, bending him backward.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2025
Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
The discovery team inferred the planet's presence using the Very Large Telescope in Chile, after detecting an unusual backward wobble in the brown dwarfs' orbits.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backward
Adverb
Getting there was a process as well, much like therapy — two steps forward one day, one-and-a-half steps backward the next.
—Adjective
After Lucas Carneiro booted a 47-yard field goal to put Ole Miss up 37-34 with six seconds to play, Georgia’s Landon Roldan fielded the Rebels’ kickoff in the end zone, ran a few yards and threw a backward pass to no one in particular.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for backward
Adverb
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School officials said the bus was transporting third-grade students back from a school trip to the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City when the incident occurred.—
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Playing Queen Charlotte brought her presence back to film following the height of her television fame with Prime Suspect.—
Adverb
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How to create opportunities for himself, say, or how much to carry the puck without Marner there lugging it around — little things like that.—
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Gavilan is from Buffalo, Minnesota, about an hour outside of Minneapolis, and around seven and a half hours away from Lawrence.—
Adjective
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Now, Tapachula is experiencing a reverse migration, as the United States sends planeload after planeload of deportees to the southern part of Mexico while the flow of migrants headed north has dried up.—
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Among them is the question of whether to use stained parts of the haversacks — possibly containing blood — on the straps’ reverse side, or to cut around them entirely.—
Adjective
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Set in Taiwan in 1988, Girl revolves around Hsiao-lee, a quiet and withdrawn girl, growing up in silent gloom.—
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Unfortunately, further discussions were heated, with no resolve, just more withdrawn behavior while the communications continued.—
Adverb
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Two of their toes point inward and two point rearward with sharp pointed claws.—
-
When moved rearward, the driver-side mattress folds and the front part of the bed base telescopes inside the larger rear section so the dinette can be expanded and used comfortably up front.—
Adverb
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Their drive extended when Jalen Hurts found Dallas Geodert to convert a fourth down for the third time on the day.—
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By the end of the year, the Gallup Economic Confidence Index, which measures views of the economy and its future, stood at a whopping negative 33, down nearly 20 points since spring.—
Adjective
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Running back Ryan Walters was just shy of 100 yards picking up 99 on 16 carries.—
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Now McCaffrey is four yards shy of reaching 600 rushing yards and joining a club with Marshall Faulk and Brian Westbrook as the only NFL players with four seasons of 600-plus yards both rushing and receiving.—
Adverb
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And the world goes round… News round-up Injuries are biting Manchester City’s back line.—
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Native to Mexico and Central America, poinsettias grow perennially in warm climates and can be kept outdoors year round in USDA growing zones 9 through 11.—
Cite this Entry
“Backward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backward. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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