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
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Two dented metal pots sat on the back of the tuk-tuk, filled with hot mujaddara, a simple mix of brown lentils and white rice, stripped of onions or other seasonings that have become unaffordable.
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Ghada Abdulfattah, The Atlantic, 5 Aug. 2025
Other scenes include Bieber kissing the little one's toes, a close-up of the nearly 1-year-old reaching for the camera, a shot of the family of three sitting together on the back of a boat and a clip of Hailey holding onto her son in the water.
—Kayla Grant, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Don't forget to look in your hair, under your arms, in your belly button, in and around your ears, and on the back of your knees.4
Finding ticks early can lower Lyme disease risk.
—Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 4 Aug. 2025
Not just Sonny, but other Spurs players have grown in popularity in Korea on the back of all these visits.
—Steve Price, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2025
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Ghada Abdulfattah, The Atlantic, 5 Aug. 2025
Other scenes include Bieber kissing the little one's toes, a close-up of the nearly 1-year-old reaching for the camera, a shot of the family of three sitting together on the back of a boat and a clip of Hailey holding onto her son in the water.
—Kayla Grant, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Don't forget to look in your hair, under your arms, in your belly button, in and around your ears, and on the back of your knees.4
Finding ticks early can lower Lyme disease risk.
—Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 4 Aug. 2025
Not just Sonny, but other Spurs players have grown in popularity in Korea on the back of all these visits.
—Steve Price, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 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 19 Aug. 2025.
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