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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Recent Examples of back off
While acknowledging where his team is lacking, Sweeney didn’t back off the belief in his team.
—
Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
Trump threatened earlier this year to fire Powell, but eventually backed off after his advisers warned him that doing so could spark extreme volatility in financial markets, CNN previously reported.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025
Continue reading … STEPPING IN – GOP senator warns White House to back off after Ukrainian refugee murder.
—FOXNews.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Monique had been the one to convince her to back off some, to trust in Miguel and try to have a life outside of grits bowls, poached eggs, and mimosas, to try to meet someone.
—Literary Hub, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for back off
Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
Trump threatened earlier this year to fire Powell, but eventually backed off after his advisers warned him that doing so could spark extreme volatility in financial markets, CNN previously reported.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025
Continue reading … STEPPING IN – GOP senator warns White House to back off after Ukrainian refugee murder.
—FOXNews.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Monique had been the one to convince her to back off some, to trust in Miguel and try to have a life outside of grits bowls, poached eggs, and mimosas, to try to meet someone.
—Literary Hub, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for back off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back off
Verb
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During the heat of summer, those grass roots are just biding their time, waiting for the temperatures to go back down.—
Charlotte Germane,
Better Homes & Gardens,
26 Sep. 2025
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Hungary's top diplomat told Newsweek that the only path to obtaining peace in Ukraine and ensuring Europe's security ran through a stable relationship between the United States and Russia, vowing Budapest would not back down in the face of pressure from EU and NATO allies on this front and others.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The president backed out of a meeting tentatively planned for Thursday after a top Republican panned the talks.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
24 Sep. 2025
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After backing out of Monday's Dawson's Creek cast reunion in New York City due to illness, James Van Der Beek still made a surprise appearance at the event in a sweet video message for attendees and his fellow cast members.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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On Thursday, there were 652 officers on the force, with nearly 100 cops out on some kind of administrative or medical leave.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
8 Aug. 2025
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But with that brief wave of hope came new footage on Twitter every night of the NYPD acting like bad cops out of a Harvey Keitel flick: cops harassing peaceful crowds, cops kettling activists, cops literally driving a car into a crowd of protestors.—
Maris Kreizman,
Rolling Stone,
24 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Back off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/back%20off. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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