back off
Britishverb
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(intr) to retreat
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(tr) to abandon (an intention, objective, etc)
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See back down , def. 2.
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Relent, abandon one's stand. For example, The chairman wanted to sell one division but later backed off . [Mid-1900s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He played a key role in persuading Trump during his first term to back off plans to remove U.S. troops from Syria, ruled at the time by Bashar al-Assad, who was later deposed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
Once again Rutte stepped in to talk Trump down, getting him to back off with a compromise that kicked the issue down the road.
From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026
Nearly three seconds clear after two laps, five after 10, he had to back off to cool overheating brakes.
From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026
At times, the piano players in his groups would simply back off during part of Rollins’ solos, loath to risk following the twisting pathways of his improvising.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2026
“My feeling is we’d best back off on this, for the moment anyway,” the governor said.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
