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
Critics warn of a bubble, pointing to how companies like Nvidia, Oracle, Broadcom and Microsoft have each added hundreds of billions of dollars in market value on the back of tie-ups with OpenAI, which is burning cash.
—
Mackenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2025
Power button reboot Locate the power button, usually on the back of the router.
—Roxanne Downer, USA Today, 23 Sep. 2025
For more than a decade, Basque cinema has increased reach at San Sebastián and beyond, largely on the back of auteur dramas and robust regional support.
—Callum McLennan, Variety, 23 Sep. 2025
His dad nicked him on the back of the leg with the chain saw.
—John J. Lennon, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2025
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Mackenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2025
Power button reboot Locate the power button, usually on the back of the router.
—Roxanne Downer, USA Today, 23 Sep. 2025
For more than a decade, Basque cinema has increased reach at San Sebastián and beyond, largely on the back of auteur dramas and robust regional support.
—Callum McLennan, Variety, 23 Sep. 2025
His dad nicked him on the back of the leg with the chain saw.
—John J. Lennon, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2025
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 1 Oct. 2025.
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