break the back of

Idioms  

1. Overpower, overcome; also, get through the hardest part of. For example, This new offense has broken the back of the opposing team, or We're well over halfway there; we've broken the back of this journey. [Mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

Leaning on all her experience, she initially allowed Joseph to play her expansive shots and break the back of the chase, with the 23-year-old clubbing three fours and a six in her innings from number three.

From BBC

"We still had core prices rising by 0.3% which is on the strong side from a longer term perspective. I think it more just drives home the recent narrative that interest rates are likely to say fairly high for a long period of time and until the Fed can really break the back of inflation."

From Reuters

It suggests that one can bend over so far backwards to prove impartiality as to break the back of apolitical justice.

From Slate

Stahl, who sees a future where college athletes break the back of an unjust system and are finally the ones calling the shots, believes he is on the winning side.

From BBC

In the civil rights era, this court led the charge for desegregation, fighting massive resistance with forceful decisions that helped break the back of Jim Crow.

From Slate