as in backed out
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 backed off
When Parsons then tried to get his agent involved before putting ink to paper, Jones backed off the deal.
—
Jon MacHota, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
Small and mid-sized countries that were energetically pursuing Security Council reform have backed off and are waiting for a clear signal of what—if anything—Trump will say about it.
—Richard Gowan, Time, 22 Sep. 2025
Microsoft backed off on almost all of Windows 8’s design decisions in the following years after the dramatic UI shift proved unpopular with traditional mouse-and-keyboard users, but touchscreen PCs like Microsoft’s Surface lineup have persisted even as the software has changed.
—Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 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
With the memo released Friday, Levine Cava backed off several more austerity measures.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
The district backed off from any moves that might be seen as undermining its magnet or selective enrollment programs.
—Mila Koumpilova, ProPublica, 9 Sep. 2025
The same team saw a Russian man enter his home in Irvine but backed off after three hours parked outside.
—Elliot Spagat, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
In both cases, Tibetans immediately backed off.
—Tenzin Dorjee, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
Jon MacHota, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
Small and mid-sized countries that were energetically pursuing Security Council reform have backed off and are waiting for a clear signal of what—if anything—Trump will say about it.
—Richard Gowan, Time, 22 Sep. 2025
Microsoft backed off on almost all of Windows 8’s design decisions in the following years after the dramatic UI shift proved unpopular with traditional mouse-and-keyboard users, but touchscreen PCs like Microsoft’s Surface lineup have persisted even as the software has changed.
—Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 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
With the memo released Friday, Levine Cava backed off several more austerity measures.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
The district backed off from any moves that might be seen as undermining its magnet or selective enrollment programs.
—Mila Koumpilova, ProPublica, 9 Sep. 2025
The same team saw a Russian man enter his home in Irvine but backed off after three hours parked outside.
—Elliot Spagat, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
In both cases, Tibetans immediately backed off.
—Tenzin Dorjee, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backed off
Verb
-
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
-
An opportunity arose in the second season, but Martin backed out, according to Vulture.—
Eric Andersson,
PEOPLE,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The agency backed down within two months.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Eventually, the White House and the Treasury backed down.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Backed off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backed%20off. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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