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.
"You just need to back off the throttle or turn down the battery and you charge the thing. So no more challenge in the high speed."
From BBC
Stubborn inflation could force the Fed to back off rates cut this year.
From MarketWatch
There is no indication that Miller is backing off these expectations.
From Salon
The governor backed off his battle with the oil companies last year after two refineries announced plans to close.
From Los Angeles Times
But on Tuesday the Food and Drug Administration backed off, citing insufficient evidence that it works for the condition.
From Barron's
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.
