1. Make a retreat from an earlier commitment or activity
   "The investor backed away from the deal at the last minute";
   - retreat, pull back, back out, crawfish [N. Amer, informal], crawfish out [N. Amer, informal], pull in one's horns [informal], withdraw

Derived forms: backing away, backs away, backed away

Type of: break, break off, cease, discontinue, give up, lay off, quit, stop, surcease [archaic]