on the back of
idiom
1
: because of or on the strength of (something)
Profits have increased on the back of improved international sales.
2
disapproving
: by using the efforts of (other people)
The company has achieved record profits on the back of cheap labor.
Examples of on the back of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The scrutiny faced when in charge of Derby, Hull and Strasbourg will markedly intensify at Chelsea, as will the expectations on the back of Maresca’s reign, which included the Club World Cup and Conference League titles last season.
—
Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
The complaint alleges a student was hit on the back of the head and pushed to the floor, according to WWBT.
—Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
The first official Chick-fil-A opened in 1967 in Atlanta’s Greenbriar Mall, as is noted on the back of the Doodles cup.
—Fielding Buck, Oc Register, 6 Jan. 2026
Estee Lauder — The cosmetics company moved nearly 2% higher on the back of an upgrade at Raymond James to strong buy from market perform.
—Fred Imbert, CNBC, 5 Jan. 2026
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Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
The complaint alleges a student was hit on the back of the head and pushed to the floor, according to WWBT.
—Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
The first official Chick-fil-A opened in 1967 in Atlanta’s Greenbriar Mall, as is noted on the back of the Doodles cup.
—Fielding Buck, Oc Register, 6 Jan. 2026
Estee Lauder — The cosmetics company moved nearly 2% higher on the back of an upgrade at Raymond James to strong buy from market perform.
—Fred Imbert, CNBC, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for on the back of
Cite this Entry
“On the back of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20the%20back%20of. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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