on the back of
idiom
1
: because of or on the strength of (something)
Profits have increased on the back of improved international sales.
2
disapproving
: by using the efforts of (other people)
The company has achieved record profits on the back of cheap labor.
Examples of on the back of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The drone maker slid more than 4% on the back of a fiscal second-quarter earnings miss.
—
Fred Imbert, CNBC, 10 Dec. 2025
This artisan reproduces masterpiece paintings on the back of the watch with a one-thread brush.
—Jon Wertheim, CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025
The clip ended with Campbell in a squad car and his pink dirt bike on the back of a tow truck.
—Stephanie Murray, AZCentral.com, 8 Dec. 2025
Netflix has become Hollywood’s most valuable company on the back of the streaming revolution.
—semafor.com, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for on the back of
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Fred Imbert, CNBC, 10 Dec. 2025
This artisan reproduces masterpiece paintings on the back of the watch with a one-thread brush.
—Jon Wertheim, CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025
The clip ended with Campbell in a squad car and his pink dirt bike on the back of a tow truck.
—Stephanie Murray, AZCentral.com, 8 Dec. 2025
Netflix has become Hollywood’s most valuable company on the back of the streaming revolution.
—semafor.com, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for on the back of
Cite this Entry
“On the back of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20the%20back%20of. Accessed 17 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share