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.
"That just shows how pressed there are. Little insecure boys trying to piggy back off our event and try to put some news over top on us - not going to work," Paul said.
From BBC • May 17, 2026
Murphy said Newsom has championed major policies and been reluctant to back off them later when revenue doesn’t pencil out.
From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2026
Stubborn inflation could force the Fed to back off rates cut this year.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 18, 2026
The team used technology called LIDAR, which measures pollution in the atmosphere by shooting out lots of laser pulses and seeing which bounce back off something.
From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026
They stop and say hello, and then once you pass, they talk the back off you like you were nothing.
From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King
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.
