variants
or backwards
1
a
: toward the back or rear
She glanced backward over her shoulder.
b
: with the back foremost
Take three steps backward.
2
a
: in a reverse or contrary direction or way
Count backward from 10.
b
: toward the past
a journey backward in time
c
: toward a worse state
His new job felt like a step backward.
1
a
: directed or turned toward the back
a backward glance
b
: done or executed backward
a backward somersault
3
: less advanced in development or accomplishment than what is typical or expected
… said he felt the news media had given Jasper the image of a backward country town.—
Eli Rosenberg and Lindsey Bever
Eli Rosenberg and Lindsey Bever
backwardly
adverb
backwardness
noun
: the part behind or past
… the dark backward … of time …—Shakespeare
ShakespeareExamples of backward in a Sentence
Adverb
a sudden movement backward, not forward
I heard a noise behind me and glanced backward.
He pushed the throttle backward.
She took a small step backward.
a journey backward in time
The narrative moves backward and forward in time.
Adjective
a technologically backward village that has no running water
a backward turn on ice skates is hard to learn because you can't see where you're going
Recent Examples on the Web
Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 6 Apr. 2025
After an electrical malfunction, Neo had fallen over backward — fainting dead away.
—Cade Metz, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
Arkansas Online, 4 Apr. 2025
Hummingbirds are a fan favorite of avid bird watchers due to their spunky personalities and impressive flying tricks (flying upside-down and backward!).
—Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Apr. 2025
Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2025
In the weeks ahead, when the pundits are debating how to interpret the latest holiday spending numbers, keep in mind that one half-step backward may be the key to sticking a soft landing.
—Sanjay Datta, Fortune, 21 Dec. 2023
See All Example Sentences for backward
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adverb
The Battle at the Ministry ride is billed as a technologically advanced elevator-style ride that allows the first-of-their-kind vehicles to travel through sprawling environments in vessels that move up, down, forward, backward, and sideways through the story.
—Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 6 Apr. 2025
After an electrical malfunction, Neo had fallen over backward — fainting dead away.
—Cade Metz, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
But that jobs data was backward looking, and the fear hitting financial markets is about what's to come.
—Arkansas Online, 4 Apr. 2025
Hummingbirds are a fan favorite of avid bird watchers due to their spunky personalities and impressive flying tricks (flying upside-down and backward!).
—Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Apr. 2025
Noun
As the officers mill around, one officer wearing his hat backward grabs a skateboard.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2025
In the weeks ahead, when the pundits are debating how to interpret the latest holiday spending numbers, keep in mind that one half-step backward may be the key to sticking a soft landing.
—Sanjay Datta, Fortune, 21 Dec. 2023
See All Example Sentences for backward
Cite this Entry
“Backward.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backward. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
backward
2 of 2 adjective1
a
: directed or turned toward the back
a backward glance
b
: done backward
3
: slow in learning or development
backward nations
backwardly
adverb
backwardness
noun
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