Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - back off

1. If you back off, you move away in order to avoid problems or a fight. They backed off in horror. PHRASAL VERB: V P 2. If you back off from a claim, demand, or commitment that you made earlier, or if you back off it, you withdraw it. A spokesman says the president has backed off from his threat to boycott the conference... The union has publicly backed off that demand. PHRASAL VERB: V P from n, V P n