Lexic.us

Definition of Back off

1. Verb. Move backwards from a certain position. "The bully had to back down"

2. Verb. Remove oneself from an obligation. "He bowed out when he heard how much work was involved"

Definition of Back off

1. Verb. (literally) To move backwards away from something. ¹

2. Verb. (idiomatic) To become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act. ¹

3. Verb. (idiomatic) To lower the setting of. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Lexicographical Neighbors of Back Off

back labor back labors back labour back labours back lens back line back lines back matter back mutation back number

back numbers back o' Bourke back of beyond back of foot reflex back of one's mind back off (current term) back office back on to back onto back out

back pack back page back pain back payment back payments back porch back post

Literary usage of Back off

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Skating by John Moyer Heathcote, C. G. Tebbutt, T. Maxwell Witham (1892)
"141) ; once back and fonvard, and inside fonvard, off centre change ; once back, back, off centre change ; once back and inside back, off centre change will ..."

2. International Library of Technology: A Series of Textbooks for Persons by International Textbook Company (1906)
"The other end of the lever u>, engages with a projection zr, on the back-off lever, so that the drawing-in motion is disconnected in any case when the ..."

3. Figure-skating by Montagu Sneade Monier-Williams (1898)
"Twice back off centre-turn, change—and inside forward (Twice back off centre-turn-reverse-Q—and inside forward). Twice back—and forward turn, change, turn, ..."

4. Day One and Beyond: Practical Matters for New Middle-Level Teachersby Rick Wormeli by Rick Wormeli (2003)
"Parents wouldn't back off midstride from teaching their child how to walk when he was a toddler; they shouldn't back off from teaching him strong character ..."

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