FluentPlex

backward

/ˈbækwɚd/ adverb C2
  1. At, near or towards the rear of something. · The passenger turned around and walked backward, towards the tail of the aircraft.
  2. In a direction opposite to that in which someone or something is facing or normally pointing. · He tilted his head backward.· The grandfather clock toppled backward and crashed to the ground.
  3. In a direction opposite to the usual direction of movement. · In reverse gear the wheel turns backward.
  4. Oppositely to the desired direction of progress, or from a better to a worse state. (figuratively) · This project seems to be going backward.
  5. In a reversed orientation; back to front. · He had his cap on backward.
  6. In a reversed order or sequence. · A palindrome reads the same backward as forward.
  7. Toward or into the past. · As we begin the new millennium, it behoves us to look backward as well as forward.
  8. By way of reflection; reflexively.
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From the library

We beg them to take one step backward, and to transport themselves, the morning of that day of great catastrophes, into the showy, gilded salon we have before shown them, and which was the pride of its owner, Baron Danglars.
The Count of Monte Cristo, p. 947 · C1
The Sheep, much against his will, carried her backward and forward for a long time, and at last said, “If you had treated a dog in this way, you would have had your deserts from his sharp teeth.” To this the Crow replied, “I despise the weak and yield to the strong.
Three Hundred Aesop's Fables, p. 94 · B2
The Lion, although he was certainly afraid, turned to face the Kalidahs, and then he gave so loud and terrible a roar that Dorothy screamed and the Scarecrow fell over backward, while even the fierce beasts stopped short and looked at him in surprise.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, p. 41 · B2
And go to bed with backward looks
A Child's Garden of Verses, p. 18 · C1

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Words, meanings, pronunciations and translations from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0); how common each word is from wordfreq. Made into this dictionary by FluentPlex.