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
Meadows tried slowing up and backing off at the last second.
—
Dave Campbell, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
Hialeah eventually backed off of the effort.
—Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2026
Trump has issued ultimatums to Iran before, only to find ways to back off.
—Compiled Bydemocrat-Gazette Stafffrom Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 7 Apr. 2026
And some have backed off from a legal fight altogether and sold their refund rights to investment firms, often at a deep discount, figuring that getting something is better than risk getting nothing.
—Alison Graham Larson, The Conversation, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for back off
Dave Campbell, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
Hialeah eventually backed off of the effort.
—Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2026
Trump has issued ultimatums to Iran before, only to find ways to back off.
—Compiled Bydemocrat-Gazette Stafffrom Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 7 Apr. 2026
And some have backed off from a legal fight altogether and sold their refund rights to investment firms, often at a deep discount, figuring that getting something is better than risk getting nothing.
—Alison Graham Larson, The Conversation, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for back off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back off
Verb
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The prince reportedly back down when he was told Middleton would not be present either.—
StyleCaster Editors,
StyleCaster,
12 Apr. 2026
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About 25 minutes before the crew splashed back down on our oasis, Artemis II Cmdr.—
Noah Haggerty,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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One buyer backed out after commissioning their own environmental report.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
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While most vacuums suck up dust only to blow the smallest particles back out, HEPA filters are far better at trapping the majority of these particles.—
Hannah Coates,
Vogue,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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 16 Apr. 2026.
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