back away

move backwards from something, often because you are afraid or unwilling

B2

What does "back away" mean?

To back away means to move backwards, usually because something has frightened you or made you uncomfortable. It can describe a literal physical movement — stepping away from a threat, a dangerous animal, or something alarming — or a more figurative one, where someone distances themselves from a promise, plan, or responsibility they no longer want to follow through on. What makes this phrasal verb distinctive is the emotional charge behind the movement: there is almost always an element of fear, caution, or reluctance involved, rather than a calm or strategic decision. The 'from' prepositional phrase is optional but very common, and you can drop it when the context is already clear ('She saw the flames and backed away'). Adverbs like 'slowly', 'nervously', and 'instinctively' pair naturally with it, especially in vivid, narrative writing.

Examples

How to use it

back away (from + noun/pronoun)

The most common structure — 'from' introduces what the person is retreating from, whether a physical threat or a figurative commitment.

He backed away from the hissing cat, keeping his movements slow and steady.

back away (without 'from')

When the source of the threat or reluctance is already clear from context, the 'from' phrase can be dropped naturally.

She saw the crack in the ceiling and backed away instinctively.

adverb + back away

Adverbs of manner are very natural companions, particularly in narrative contexts describing how someone retreats.

The hiker backed away slowly, trying not to startle the animal.

back away from + abstract noun

In the figurative sense, 'back away from' is followed by an abstract noun such as a commitment, position, promise, or deal.

The company backed away from the merger after the financial details came to light.

imperative: back away (from + noun)

The imperative form is commonly used to warn or instruct someone to retreat from something dangerous.

Back away from the edge — the ground there isn't stable.

Common Collocations

back away from dangerback away from a commitmentback away slowlyback away in fearback away from the edgeback away from a confrontation

Common Mistakes

Using a direct object instead of 'from'

'Back away' is intransitive and cannot take a direct object. To say what you are retreating from, you must use the preposition 'from'.

✗ She backed away the dog.
✓ She backed away from the dog.
Confusing 'back away' with 'back down'

'Back down' means to give in or concede during an argument or disagreement, implying pressure from another person. 'Back away' means to retreat from something out of fear or reluctance, and does not suggest yielding to someone in a dispute.

✗ After a heated debate, she backed away and admitted she was wrong.
✓ After a heated debate, she backed down and admitted she was wrong.
Avoiding awkward perfect continuous forms

The present perfect continuous sounds forced with 'back away' in most situations. Prefer the past simple or past continuous to describe this kind of action.

✗ He has been backing away from his responsibilities for months.
✓ He backed away from his responsibilities at the first sign of difficulty.

Usage

Both the literal sense (physical movement) and the figurative sense (avoiding a commitment or position) are equally common in everyday English. In the figurative sense, it often appears in news headlines and political reporting (e.g. 'The government backed away from its promise').

Frequently Asked Questions

Can 'back away' be used in the passive voice?

No — 'back away' is intransitive, which means it describes what the subject does and has no object to turn into a passive subject. You cannot say 'the crowd was backed away'. Instead, keep the person or group as the subject: 'The crowd backed away from the barrier'.

Does 'back away' always involve physical movement?

Not at all. While the literal sense describes actual backward movement — stepping away from danger or something alarming — the figurative sense is equally common. People 'back away from' commitments, deals, promises, and positions when they no longer want to follow through. Both uses are completely natural in everyday English.

What kinds of things can you 'back away from'?

In the literal sense, common examples include threats, wild animals, fires, edges, and other physical dangers. In the figurative sense, you might back away from a commitment, a promise, a deal, a decision, a confrontation, or a responsibility. The common thread is always a sense of fear, caution, or unwillingness to continue.

Is 'back away' more common in spoken or written English?

It appears naturally in both. In spoken English and storytelling, it tends to describe physical retreats with vivid adverbs like 'slowly' or 'nervously'. In written English — particularly journalism and political reporting — the figurative sense is very common, as in headlines like 'Government backs away from tax reform'.

Can I use 'back away' to describe an animal retreating, not just a person?

Yes, absolutely. Animals can back away just as people do — for example, 'The dog backed away when it saw the vacuum cleaner'. The emotional implication of fear or alarm applies equally well to animals in narrative contexts.

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