back away

1. To move slowly and carefully away from something or someone. Kids, back away from the expensive vase! If you encounter a grizzly bear, back away slowly while talking in a normal tone. I'd back away from that growling dog if I were you!

2. To retreat on a particular idea or course of action. I think that Marie is backing away from the contract now. Management seems to be backing away from that initiative. Please tell me that town council is backing away from these ridiculous parking fines.

See also: away, back

back away

(from someone or something) and back off (from someone or something)

1. Lit. to move backwards from a person or thing; to withdraw physically from someone or something. You should back away from the fire. Please back off from the man who is threatening you.

2. Fig. to begin to appear uninterested in someone or something; to withdraw one's interest from someone or something. The board of directors began to back away from the idea of taking over the rival company. Tom backed off from the whole idea of investing in stocks.

See also: away, back

back away

1. Walk backward, as in He cautiously backed away from the fire.

2. Gradually retreat, withdraw, as in Since he couldn't convince his colleagues, he's backing away from his original idea. Both usages employ the verb back in the sense of "retreat," dating from the late 1400s. Also see back down; back out.

See also: away, back

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

back away

1. To move backward away from something or someone; retreat: The dog backed away from the hissing cat. I told the kids to keep their distance from the burning fire, but they wouldn't back away.

2. To move something backward away from something or someone; retreat: I backed the car away from the oncoming traffic.

3. To withdraw one's interest or support from something or someone: The candidate backed away from his previous controversial views.

See also: away, back

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References in periodicals archive

I don't find it any harder to shoot to 12 o'clock while my body is moving to 3 or 9 o'clock, than to shoot in the same direction while backing away toward 6 o'clock.

Charge... to the Rear! (Cop Talk)

From a business story in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "The Bank of Scotland may be backing away from a deal with television evangelist Pat Robertson to create a virtual bank after Robertson called Scotland a hotbed for homosexuality and said the country may be headed `back to darkness.' ...

NO COMMENT

(2) It provides a principled way of backing away from the limitations of an E.P.

Class Counts: Comparative Studies in Class Analysis

Tony Blair was urged to reaffirm government policy after claims he was backing away from the proposal.

Blair stands by right to roam

Is anyone now astonished that President Clinton seems to be backing away from the views he expressed on many of the economic issues that he railed against during the campaign and from many of the stands that helped him get elected?

National confidence: it all gets back to jobs

In an action that appears to be backing away from the proposed regulation position, the IRS declined to express an opinion on the tax treatment of the substitute payments, including their source and character under the treaty and the Code.

Window of opportunity for tax-exempt repatriation of substitute payments in cross border securities lending transactions

Shares of Athenahealth (ATHN) dropped in morning trading following a report that Paul Singer's Elliott Management is backing away from its potential bid for the company.

Athenahealth drops after Elliott said to pull back from $160 per share bid

Now it is, rightly, backing away from a 73pc increase in the amount of cash paid to councillors.

Almost unbelievable

I'm a cop; drop the knife." When Carlon ignored the warning and kept coming, Blake began backing away. The New York Post for June 17th quoted him as recalling: "I'm backing up, and all of a sudden, he charged at me, and raised the knife to go stab me.

Former cop cleared. (Exercising the Right)

BOOKIES in private advocate the death penalty for punters who clean up by backing away teams in Scottish Division Three.

Sports Betting : It may be El of a turn-up

Backing away, "she rubbed her face, and that was it.

Hey, Snake--Rattle This!

Shapiro, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union, insisted that the decision did not "even remotely suggest" that the majority is "backing away" from Romer v.

Unappealing court

Secretary of State Warren Christopher said, "We're not backing away in any way from pursuing human-rights problems" in China.

Coddler-in-Chief