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to back off
01
to move away from a person, thing, or situation
Intransitive
Grammatical Information
Composition
phrasal
Movement verb
Regular
Inseparable
Particle
off
Base verb
back
Present tense
back off
3rd person singular
backs off
Present participle
backing off
Past simple
backed off
Past participle
backed off
Examples
The hiker encountered a bear and wisely chose to back off slowly.
02
to no longer be involved in a task or obligation
Intransitive
Examples
The employee was advised to back off temporarily for health reasons.
03
to avoid telling someone what to do or criticizing them, allowing the person to handle the situation on their own
Intransitive
Examples
Teachers should know when to back off and let students navigate challenges.
