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
To make matters worse, demand for Japanese rice has skyrocketed on the back of high tourist footfall, the professor noted.
—
Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 21 May 2025
The Laver Cup was built on the back of Federer and Rafael Nadal, who have now both hung up their rackets for good, but the event has been sold out since Federer retired, as a new crop of stars has taken center stage.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 21 May 2025
The seven-piece Metamorphosis collection, which has a butterfly motif, includes an 18-karat yellow gold butterfly ring, at $1,100, and an 18-karat gold chain that is meant to be wrapped around a wearer’s finger and wrist, so its gold orb is displayed on the back of the hand.
—Felicia Craddock, New York Times, 20 May 2025
This stretch targets the muscles on the back of the thighs and can help to improve flexibility in the lower back and legs.
—Claudia Herwig, Glamour, 20 May 2025
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Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 21 May 2025
The Laver Cup was built on the back of Federer and Rafael Nadal, who have now both hung up their rackets for good, but the event has been sold out since Federer retired, as a new crop of stars has taken center stage.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 21 May 2025
The seven-piece Metamorphosis collection, which has a butterfly motif, includes an 18-karat yellow gold butterfly ring, at $1,100, and an 18-karat gold chain that is meant to be wrapped around a wearer’s finger and wrist, so its gold orb is displayed on the back of the hand.
—Felicia Craddock, New York Times, 20 May 2025
This stretch targets the muscles on the back of the thighs and can help to improve flexibility in the lower back and legs.
—Claudia Herwig, Glamour, 20 May 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 30 May. 2025.
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