How to Use back off in a Sentence

back off

verb
Definition of back offnext
Synonyms for back offnext
  • Trump may also back off on Section 230, given his own Truth Social relies on it to function.
    — Maria Curi, Axios, 17 July 2024
  • The next day, the nation's most popular senior Democrat, Barack Obama, told his allies to back off Biden.
    — Philip Elliott, TIME, 28 June 2024
  • So far, the rest of the NBA appears to have backed off.
    — Afentres, oregonlive, 7 July 2023
  • Both Epps and the man said Epps had told him to back off.
    — The Arizona Republic, 6 Jan. 2024
  • After a shaky start to the year, that was enough to send stocks back off to the races.
    — Heard Editors, WSJ, 6 Jan. 2023
  • The two moved the pontoon boat over about three steps to the right and tied it back off.
    — Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 10 Aug. 2023
  • Now, a judge will decide next whether to tell the state to back off or not.
    — David Begnaud, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2022
  • The path of least resistance is to back off rather than to reach out.
    — Robert Klose, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 Feb. 2024
  • Toro’s blast hit the top of the fence before rebounding off a wall and back off the field.
    — Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 1 May 2024
  • Coates said crews have backed off and are building a fire break at the top of the ridge line northwest of the fire line.
    — Paighten Harkins, The Salt Lake Tribune, 15 Aug. 2023
  • Jaden Ivey, the No. 5 pick overall last year, missed 9 of 12 shots as the Nets backed off him and welcomed the guard to shoot.
    — CBS News, 26 Dec. 2023
  • But, over the next two years, a coalition of power players urged the FDA to back off.
    — Anna Clark, ProPublica, 6 Dec. 2022
  • After their son shoved the boy’s arm away, the Mahnkes said, the boy backed off, warned his peers against telling anyone about the gun and left.
    — Steven Rich, Washington Post, 10 Oct. 2023
  • When a guard threatened to shoot, the group backed off and Ms. Stafford felt her resolve deflate.
    — Lynsey Chutel Gulshan Khan, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2023
  • Milley even flew to Israel to have a meeting with him, at his home in Jerusalem, to urge him to back off.
    — Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 28 June 2023
  • Jones set sail again and won easily as Clark backed off.
    — Mike Kupper, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2024
  • Drury started at second in his first game back off the injured list.
    — Janis Carr, Orange County Register, 18 June 2024
  • Her home in Bypro was demolished when the rushing water ripped the back off.
    — Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 23 Dec. 2022
  • The Europe plans were already in motion, though, and Mr. Friedman has not backed off them.
    — David Segal, New York Times, 8 June 2024
  • Stanley and Provost Teresa Woodruff also sent letters telling the board to back off.
    — Mark Johnson, Detroit Free Press, 13 Oct. 2022
  • Guests have their own private staircase entrance in the back off the street, as well as access to a tennis court.
    — Rachel Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Apr. 2024
  • Moonkin Druid build in mixed company and should, perhaps, back off.
    — WIRED, 8 Sep. 2022
  • For Nyong’o, growing as an actress this past decade has meant learning how and when to push herself and when to back off.
    — Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Oct. 2022
  • Seager, in his fourth game back off of the injured list, hit his third home run since returning.
    — Shawn McFarland, Dallas News, 6 Aug. 2023
  • But on Wednesday night, in a sudden change, Trump backed off the message he's spent nearly a year touting on the stump.
    — Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 11 Jan. 2024
  • Oftentimes coaching is knowing when to push and when to back off.
    — Tim Meehan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Nov. 2023
  • The proposal will expire at the end of the year unless a council member brings it back off the table.
    — Stacy Ryburn, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2023
  • The heat dome is expected to weaken and shift west this weekend allowing for the heat to back off.
    — Kxas-Tv (nbc5), Dallas News, 4 Sep. 2023
  • Engage your abs, lifting your shoulders and upper back off the ground.
    — Jennifer Cohen, Health, 18 June 2023
  • After Verdugo worked a one-out walk, Turner fouled a first-pitch fastball back off the throat guard of home plate ump Chad Fairchild.
    — Alex Speier, BostonGlobe.com, 13 June 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'back off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: