Dictionary

back off en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (literally) To move backwards away from something.
   • I tried to back off slowly from the tiger in my path.
2. (idiomatic) To become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act.
   • I was going to sue until my legal advisors told me to back off.
   • Republicans on Capitol Hill, who were gearing up to use Graeme as evidence that Democrats have overexpanded the health program to include families wealthy enough to afford private insurance, have backed off. 2007 October 10, David M. Herszenhorn, “Capitol Feud: A 12-Year-Old Is the Fodder”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 09 Nov 2020:
   • You need to back off, or the situation could turn ugly.
3. (idiomatic) To lower the setting of.
   • Could you back off the volume a bit? It’s really loud.
4. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see back, off.
   • The machine may go back off if it gets too hot. [= turn off again, turn back off].

Forms

Coordinates

back down · back out · stand down · back away · back out · stand back · back up

Deriveds

backoff

Synonyms

turn down · dial back

Translations (23)

ru отступа́ть (to move backwards away from something) · fr baisser d'un ton (to lower the setting of) · pl odsuwać się (to move backwards away from something) · hu lejjebb vesz (to lower the setting of) · pl odsunąć się (to move backwards away from something) · fi hiljentää (to lower the setting of) · pl wyciszyć (to lower the setting of) · hu visszafogja magát (to become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act) · pl uspokoić się (to become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act) · fi malttaa mielensä (to become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act) · fr reculer (to move backwards away from something) · es dejar/parar de insistir (to become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act) · pl cofnąć się (to move backwards away from something) · fr mettre de l'eau dans son vin (to become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act) · hu hátrál (to move backwards away from something) · fi rauhoittua (to become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act) · fi alentaa (to lower the setting of) · hu visszavesz (to become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act) · pl cofać się (to move backwards away from something) · fi perääntyä (to move backwards away from something) · pt retroceder (to move backwards away from something) · be задкаваць (to move backwards away from something) · pt recuar (to move backwards away from something)