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Synonyms

back off

British  

verb

  1. (intr) to retreat

  2. (tr) to abandon (an intention, objective, etc)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
back off Idioms  

  1. See back down , def. 2.

  2. 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.

Stubborn inflation could force the Fed to back off rates cut this year.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 18, 2026

The chief also urged Washington to back off: “We’re taking this very seriously,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

The companies “knew that their design tactics were harming young girls’ mental health, and they didn’t back off.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2026

Stocks rallied after Trump at Davos seemed to back off invasion and tariff threats, and said there was a framework for a deal.

From Barron's • Jan. 24, 2026

I brushed my now-sticky hair back off my face.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

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.