back off

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.

“Sometimes you just need to show up and talk to the community, to get them to back off, leave it alone.”

From Slate • May 27, 2026

"So it is not fair to me to say I ever tell my players to back off and not press. If it did look like that, it was never the intention."

From BBC • May 9, 2026

And so that was only possible because there’s a clinical trial, which is another way of saying to the FDA, “Hey, back off a little bit.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

Murphy said Newsom has championed major policies and been reluctant to back off them later when revenue doesn’t pencil out.

From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2026

A person felt a prick and instantly recoiled, or saw a snake and leapt, or heard the sound of thundering hooves and stepped back off the street.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel