as in backing 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 backing off
Campbell committed to the Hurricanes more than two years before ultimately signing, never backing off his commitment.
—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
29 June 2026
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers last week that the DOJ would be backing off of the fund, amid bipartisan opposition to the idea.
—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
7 June 2026
But ongoing discussions Friday suggested federal officials may be backing off some of the stricter monitoring proposals.
—
Arkansas Online,
31 May 2026
These and other moves might suggest San Diego is backing off its years-long effort to encourage more housing development with hopes that boosting supply will help moderate sky-high prices.
—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 May 2026
This began with the system changes agreed upon before the Miami Grand Prix to reduce drivers backing off to boost energy harvesting (when the car’s electrical systems recover power under braking and store it in the battery) and to reduce dangerous closing speeds between cars.
—
Alex Kalinauckas,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
His message was mostly aimed at critics on the right who say the administration is backing off.
—
Michael Scherer,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2026
But even speaking to a friendly interviewer, Kerr sounds like a guy backing off.
—
Dan Zaksheske Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
27 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
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
29 June 2026
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers last week that the DOJ would be backing off of the fund, amid bipartisan opposition to the idea.
—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
7 June 2026
But ongoing discussions Friday suggested federal officials may be backing off some of the stricter monitoring proposals.
—
Arkansas Online,
31 May 2026
These and other moves might suggest San Diego is backing off its years-long effort to encourage more housing development with hopes that boosting supply will help moderate sky-high prices.
—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 May 2026
This began with the system changes agreed upon before the Miami Grand Prix to reduce drivers backing off to boost energy harvesting (when the car’s electrical systems recover power under braking and store it in the battery) and to reduce dangerous closing speeds between cars.
—
Alex Kalinauckas,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
His message was mostly aimed at critics on the right who say the administration is backing off.
—
Michael Scherer,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2026
But even speaking to a friendly interviewer, Kerr sounds like a guy backing off.
—
Dan Zaksheske Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
27 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backing off
Verb
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Sources said a different Big 12 team, TCU, was the initial target before backing out of what essentially is a home game for the Aztecs.
-
Hazel was chasing a stream of water down the street while her father was pressure washing their driveway outside when she was hit by a car backing out of a nearby driveway, her parents told KPCQ.
Verb
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In spite of the backlash, the Seattle committee showed no signs of backing down.
-
Leo wants applause, Taurus wants consistency and neither is particularly fond of backing down.
Cite this Entry
“Backing off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backing%20off. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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