Definition of "back off"

back off

verb
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.
2. (idiomatic) To become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act.
  Quotations
  Republicans on Capitol Hill, who were gearing up to use Graeme as evidence that Democrats have overexpanded the health program to include families wealthy enough to afford private insurance, have backed off.
  2007 October 10, David M. Herszenhorn, “Capitol Feud: A 12-Year-Old Is the Fodder”, in New York Times‎
3. (idiomatic) To lower the setting of.
4. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see back,‎ off.