BACKWARDS

adv. 1 away from one's front (lean backwards; look backwards). 2 a with the back foremost (walk backwards). b in reverse of the usual way (count backwards; spell backwards). 3 a into a worse state (new policies are taking us backwards). b into the past (looked backwards over the years). c (of a thing's motion) back towards the starting-point (rolled backwards). backwards and forwards in both directions alternately; to and fro. bend (or fall or lean) over backwards (often foll. by to + infin.) colloq. make every effort, esp. to be fair or helpful. know backwards be entirely familiar with.