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
The Boston Celtics also retreated with their interest, while the Timberwolves, after showing a willingness to offer two second-round picks for Ellis, backed off as their Giannis Antetokounmpo pursuit ramped up and became the priority.
—
Sam Amick, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
But the president backed off after appeals from San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and tech executives, including Marc Benioff, the Salesforce CEO whose family name is attached to the Oakland children’s hospital.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2026
Trump appears to have backed off those tariffs—for now—but the markets (and much of Europe) reacted sharply to the threat.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Late in the second half, Kuhr backed off the blitz some and called more Cover 2 to reduce the chances of a breakaway touchdown that could fast-track Houston's comeback efforts.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 20 Jan. 2026
But last month, Critchfield backed off in the face of a challenging state budget.
—Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 8 Jan. 2026
Hegseth this week backed off that losing proposition and instead issued a censure for Kelly and started a process to demote him in retirement, which would reduce his pension.
—Chris Brennan, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who launched a full-scale invasion of Russia’s much smaller neighbor in February 2022, has not backed off maximalist demands that would see Ukraine blocked from integrating with the West and limit its ability to defend itself.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 27 Dec. 2025
Still, while the index has remained within 3% of its record high, that was eight weeks ago, and the benchmark backed off decisively from those peak readings in the past week.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 18 Dec. 2025
Sam Amick, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
But the president backed off after appeals from San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and tech executives, including Marc Benioff, the Salesforce CEO whose family name is attached to the Oakland children’s hospital.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2026
Trump appears to have backed off those tariffs—for now—but the markets (and much of Europe) reacted sharply to the threat.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Late in the second half, Kuhr backed off the blitz some and called more Cover 2 to reduce the chances of a breakaway touchdown that could fast-track Houston's comeback efforts.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 20 Jan. 2026
But last month, Critchfield backed off in the face of a challenging state budget.
—Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 8 Jan. 2026
Hegseth this week backed off that losing proposition and instead issued a censure for Kelly and started a process to demote him in retirement, which would reduce his pension.
—Chris Brennan, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who launched a full-scale invasion of Russia’s much smaller neighbor in February 2022, has not backed off maximalist demands that would see Ukraine blocked from integrating with the West and limit its ability to defend itself.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 27 Dec. 2025
Still, while the index has remained within 3% of its record high, that was eight weeks ago, and the benchmark backed off decisively from those peak readings in the past week.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 18 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backed off
Verb
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The night began with boisterous boos during the pregame introduction of a player who backed out on a deal to return to the Bears for his sophomore season.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Feb. 2026
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In Oklahoma City, after several protests and a packed city council meeting, a company that had planned to sell its warehouse to ICE backed out of the deal – a move cheered by Republican Mayor David Holt.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Google appears to have backed down in its AI dispute with Disney.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
9 Feb. 2026
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The administration has eased its tone and admitted mistakes in its immigration enforcement campaign since Pretti’s killing, but hasn’t backed down completely or paused operations in Minneapolis, as critics demanded.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backed off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backed%20off. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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