back off

phrasal-verb
UK: /ˌbæk ˈɒf/
US: /ˌbæk ˈɔːf/

  1. To move away from someone or something, usually because you are afraid or do not want to be involved.

    1. The crowd started to back off when the police arrived. [ ] [ ]
    2. When I saw the size of the dog, I decided to slowly back off and go the other way. [ ] [ ]

  2. To stop being involved in something, or to stop supporting someone.

    1. The company had to back off from the deal due to financial problems. [ ] [ ]
    2. The government decided to back off its plan to raise taxes after public protests. [ ] [ ]

  3. To stop threatening someone or stop putting pressure on them.

    1. Just back off, okay? I need some space to think. [ ] [ ]
    2. My parents are finally starting to back off and let me make my own decisions. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

recede withdraw retreat yield desist
back off noun

  1. An act of reducing involvement or pressure.

    1. A back off is sometimes the best way to handle a stressful situation. [ ] [ ]
    2. The company's back off from the project surprised many investors and caused some concern. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "back off" in English means: To move away from someone or something, usually because you are afraid or do not want to be involved., To stop being involved in something, or to stop supporting someone., To stop threatening someone or stop putting pressure on them..

The phonetic transcription of "back off" is /ˌbæk ˈɒf/ in British English and /ˌbæk ˈɔːf/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "back off": recede, withdraw, retreat, yield, desist.

Example usage of "back off": "The crowd started to back off when the police arrived.". More examples on the page.