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
Some of their goals from throw-ins, with oppositions backing off in anticipation and possibly fear of one of Pinnock’s long throws, have also come from quick restarts and delivering quality crosses into the box.
—
Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Instead of backing off of their support for the proposal, its Republican supporters are digging in — a sign of how intractable the fight over immigration policy is, even among Trump-supporting Republicans.
—Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 22 Apr. 2026
The younger man backed off and Lacaille drove away.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2026
Fierce bipartisan opposition prompted the administration to back off the plans.
—Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for back off
Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Instead of backing off of their support for the proposal, its Republican supporters are digging in — a sign of how intractable the fight over immigration policy is, even among Trump-supporting Republicans.
—Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 22 Apr. 2026
The younger man backed off and Lacaille drove away.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2026
Fierce bipartisan opposition prompted the administration to back off the plans.
—Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for back off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back off
Verb
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The trail eventually tilts back down toward the city, where car honks and train horns replace the cries of birds and insects.—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
4 May 2026
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That pulls cooler air up and pushes warm air (which rises to the ceiling) back down into the room without creating a draft.—
Ryan Brennan
May 4,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 May 2026
Verb
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The board’s attorney initially said CRTPO couldn’t back out of the agreement after that deadline.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Apr. 2026
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The whale faced significant odds finding its own way back out into the North Sea and into the Atlantic Ocean.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Climb the 900-odd steps (or cop out in a car) for a walk through its eight baroque bastions and some breathtaking views.—
Helen Brown,
TheWeek,
30 Apr. 2026
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To say these machines are too expense is a cop out.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Back off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/back%20off. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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