- make a retreat from an earlier commitment or activity
- We'll have to crawfish out from meeting with him
- He backed out of his earlier promise
- The aggressive investment company pulled in its horns
Synonym: retreatback outback awaycrawfishcrawfish outpull in one's hornswithdraw
- stretch back a bowstring (on an archer's bow)
- The archers were drawing their bows
Synonym: draw
- move to a rearward position
- Pull back your arms!
- use a surgical instrument to hold open (the edges of a wound or an organ)
Synonym: retractdraw back
- pull back or move away or backward
- The enemy withdrew
- The limo pulled away from the curb
Synonym: withdrawretreatpull awaydraw backrecederetiremove back