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back off

[/bæk ɔːf/]
verb (phrasal)
recuar; desistir; afastar-se
1. To move backward away from someone or something
Back off! You're standing too close to me.
Afaste-se! Você está muito perto de mim.
2. To retreat or withdraw from a position, argument, or commitment
He decided to back off from his original proposal.
Ele decidiu desistir de sua proposta original.
3. To stop pressuring or bothering someone
Tell him to back off and leave you alone.
Diga a ele para parar de incomodá-lo e deixá-lo em paz.
4. To reduce intensity or effort
The coach told the team to back off the aggressive strategy.
O técnico disse ao time para reduzir a estratégia agressiva.
NYC Slang
chill out; pump the brakes; stand down
Synonyms
retreatwithdrawback downstep backgive wayrelentdesist
Antonyms
advancemove forwardpersistpress onintensify

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
recuar; se afastar; desistir
most common usage across Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
se afastar; dar um jeito
colloquial usage
São Paulo
recuar; desistir de
formal and informal contexts
Portugal
recuar; afastar-se; desistir
standard European Portuguese equivalent

Related Idioms & Phrases

back off from a deal
back off the accelerator
back off a claim
tell someone to back off
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