{
    "term": "backwards",
    "partOfSpeech": "adverb",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "b1",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "towards a place or position that is behind",
            "cefr": "b1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I lost my balance and fell backwards."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He took a step backwards."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I stumbled backwards and fell."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "in the opposite direction to the usual one",
            "cefr": "b1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "‘Ambulance’ is written backwards so you can read it in the mirror."
                },
                {
                    "text": "In the movie they take a journey backwards through time."
                },
                {
                    "text": "‘Evil’ spelled backwards is ‘live’."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I felt as though time had stopped and clocks had gone backwards."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "towards a worse state",
            "cefr": "b1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I felt that going to live with my parents would be a step backwards."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "if you put on a piece of clothing backwards, you make a mistake and put the back where the front should be",
            "labels": "(North American English)British English",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "from one place or position to another and back again many times",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "She rocked backwards and forwards on her chair."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The film skips backwards and forwards through time."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to make a great effort, especially in order to be helpful or fair",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I've bent over backwards to help him."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to know somebody/something extremely well",
            "labels": "(especially British English, informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "She must know the play backwards by now."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈbækwədz/",
                "audio": "ba/backwards/backwards__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈbækwərdz/",
                "audio": "ba/backwards/backwards__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": null
}