as in to back down
to break a promise or agreement
you'd better not back off on your promise to do all the planning for the big dance
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of back off
Not worrying about these wakeups could make all the difference in dozing back off easily.
—
Erica Sloan, SELF, 24 Feb. 2026
After gold medal favorite Finley Melville Ives crashed out of contention, the top American contenders, rather sensibly, backed off in their second runs in men's freeski halfpipe qualifying.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 20 Feb. 2026
Pressure from the governor of Oklahoma – Kevin Stitt, the Republican chair of the NGA – caused the president to mostly back off.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
Many of his neighbors want state and federal officials to back off.
—Teresa Mondría Terol Hiroko Tabuchi David E. Sanger Clayton Steward, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for back off
Erica Sloan, SELF, 24 Feb. 2026
After gold medal favorite Finley Melville Ives crashed out of contention, the top American contenders, rather sensibly, backed off in their second runs in men's freeski halfpipe qualifying.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 20 Feb. 2026
Pressure from the governor of Oklahoma – Kevin Stitt, the Republican chair of the NGA – caused the president to mostly back off.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
Many of his neighbors want state and federal officials to back off.
—Teresa Mondría Terol Hiroko Tabuchi David E. Sanger Clayton Steward, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for back off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back off
Verb
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The midterms may hinge on affordability Democrats are making affordability the central plank of their pitch to voters in November, arguing that Trump has failed in his campaign promise to bring prices back down despite Republican control of Congress.—
Jonathan J. Cooper,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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Potentially most importantly, Bane was coming from the Memphis Grizzlies, who made a name for themselves by not backing down to anyone who stood in front of them.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Blount said afterward that her team was unselfish with the guards feeding the post and the bigs kicking the ball back out to give guards shots.—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Mar. 2026
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But Viacom backed out of the deal.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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To say these machines are too expense is a cop out.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
7 Mar. 2026
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Rather than throwing those bad cops out of the union and asking for better training so cops will never have to ask what to do when a fellow cop appears to have broken the law, Hendry encourages them.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Back off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/back%20off. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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