back off

See also: backoff

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

Verb

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

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.

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

   I was going to sue, until my legal advisors told me to back off.

3. (idiomatic) To lower the setting of.

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

Translations

To move backwards away from something

• French: reculer (fr)
• Russian: отступа́ть (ru) (otstupátʹ)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Spanish: retroceder (es)

To become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act

• French: mettre de l’eau dans son vin (fr)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

To lower the setting of

• French: baisser d’un ton (fr)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

See also

• back down
• back into
• back out
• back up