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Synonyms

sit back

British  

verb

  1. (intr, adverb) to relax, as when action should be taken

    many people just sit back and ignore the problems of today

"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

sit back Idioms  
  1. Relax, as in Now that the work's finished, we can just sit back .

  2. 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.

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

“We are not going to sit back and just say we will never sell the Bitcoin.”

From Barron's • May 5, 2026

Now I could sit back and relax—or so I thought.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

I hammer the last staple down over the wire and we sit back, wiping sweat from our faces.

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz

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