back off

verb

To move backwards away from something.

“I tried to back off slowly from the tiger in my path.”

Similar
dial backturn downback upback downchicken outpull outbow outget out
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Meanings

verbback off (third-person singular simple present backs off, present participle backing off, simple past and past participle backed off)

present singular third person backs off · participle present backing off · participle past backed off · past backed off

  1. literallyTo move backwards away from something.

    I tried to back off slowly from the tiger in my path.

  2. idiomaticTo become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act.

    You need to back off, or the situation could turn ugly.

    2 more examples

    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
  3. idiomaticTo lower the setting of.

    Could you back off the volume a bit? It’s really loud.

    Synonyms: dial back, turn down

  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].

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo lower the setting of.

Similar
dial backturn down

More synonyms by meaning

verbmove backwards from a certain position

Similar
back upback down
Broader
withdrawretreatpull away

verbremove oneself from an obligation

Similar
chicken outpull outback downbow outget out
Broader
retirewithdraw
Also see
back downback upbow outchicken outget outpull out

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Finnish perääntyä, malttaa mielensä
  • perääntyäto move backwards away from something
  • malttaa mielensäto become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act
  • rauhoittuato become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act
  • alentaato lower the setting of
  • hiljentääto lower the setting of
French reculer, mettre de l'eau dans son vin
  • reculerto move backwards away from something
  • mettre de l'eau dans son vinto become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act
  • baisser d'un tonto lower the setting of
Hungarian hátrál, visszafogja magát
  • hátrálto move backwards away from something
  • visszafogja magátto become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act
  • visszaveszto become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act
  • lejjebb veszto lower the setting of
Polish cofnąć się, cofać się
  • cofnąć sięto move backwards away from something
  • cofać sięto move backwards away from something
  • odsunąć sięto move backwards away from something
  • odsuwać sięto move backwards away from something
  • uspokoić sięto become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act
  • wyciszyćto lower the setting of
Portuguese recuar, retroceder
  • recuarto move backwards away from something
  • retrocederto move backwards away from something
Russian отступа́ть
  • отступа́ть (otstupátʹ)to move backwards away from something
Spanish dejar/parar de insistir
  • dejar/parar de insistirto become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act
Cite this entry
APA

back off. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/back%20off

MLA

“back off.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/back%20off. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “back off,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/back%20off.

Source: back off on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.