Meaning & use
backward
Directed toward the back or the starting point; also, behind in progress or development.
See it in a sentence
She took a backward glance at the house before driving away for good.
Critics called the policy backward because it ignored decades of scientific progress.
A note on using this word
Backward also functions as an adverb meaning toward the rear, as in 'he stepped backward.'
Words with a similar meaning
reverserearward
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Another way to use it
2. adverb
Toward the back, the past, or the opposite of the usual direction.
The car rolled backward down the hill before the driver hit the brakes.
Make it your own
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