back off
Third Person
backs off
Present Participle
backing off
Past Tense
backed off
Past Participle
backed off
1
to move away from a person, thing, or situation
- The hiker encountered a bear and wisely chose to back off slowly.
- The dog growled, warning everyone to back off.
- The crowd was asked to back off to give emergency responders room to work.
- The firefighter was forced to back off when the flames intensified.
- The cyclist decided to back off from the busy intersection to avoid a potential collision.
2
to no longer be involved in a task or obligation
- The employee was advised to back off temporarily for health reasons.
- It's okay to back off if a task becomes too challenging.
- The team leader chose to back off amid the tight schedule.
- I had to back off when I realized the workload was too much.
- The company decided to back off from the risky venture.
Synonyms:
3
to avoid telling someone what to do or criticizing them, allowing the person to handle the situation on their own
- Teachers should know when to back off and let students navigate challenges.
- Please back off and give her some space to make her own choices.
- I appreciate your input, but it's time to back off and let me handle my job.
- I need you to back off and trust that I can manage my workload.
- Why don't you just back off and let them decide where to go for lunch?