sit back
Britishverb
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Relax, as in Now that the work's finished, we can just sit back .
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Refrain from interfering or taking part, as in Mom and Dad just sat back and watched Meg try to decide whether or not she should tell on her friends . [Mid-1900s] Also see sit by .
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.
“I think people should be alarmed. This is a health crisis. It’s also an economic crisis for families and government. It’s not something to sit back and ignore,” Zissimopoulos said.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 24, 2026
All we have to do is sit back and hear him out.
From Salon • Jun. 13, 2026
So to all of us hardcore sports fans, let’s sit back and enjoy!!
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026
Chelsea's plan was to sit back, soak up the pressure and look to hit City on the break.
From BBC • May 16, 2026
She started to stand once, only to sit back down and look one more time in my direction.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
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.
