Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Definitions

back off

VERB
retreat
Synonyms
STRONGEST
abandon back down balk give up surrender withdraw
WEAK
recede retire yield

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He was coming, so could they all back off?

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

Stubborn inflation could force the Fed to back off rates cut this year.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 18, 2026

Europe’s threat sent markets tumbling and caused Trump to back off.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

Diego Gomez drilled in the opening goal for the visitors after Ferdi Kadioglu's stunning strike came back off the bar.

From Barron's • Feb. 21, 2026

I thought for sure Martin had dropped right back off into sleep until he asked, “Where are we going after that?”

From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken