on the back of

idiom

: because of or on the strength of (something)

Profits have increased on the back of improved international sales.

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

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

During a pregame ceremony, there were tears, there was a stunningly long moment of silence, there was his family lined up on the third-base line during pregame introductions, and there was a first pitch placed on the back of the mound next to where the number 34 had been painted into the dirt. —

Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2024 Bloomsbury Publishing is on track to see this year’s financial results exceed market expectations on the back of rising demand for fantasy fiction. —

Robert Olsen, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024 His beanie first appeared on top of his hairline and ears, then magically appeared on the back of his head. —

Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 23 Oct. 2024 Quest Diagnostics — The stock rallied nearly 7% on the back of third-quarter results that beat analysts’ expectations. —

Sean Conlon, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for on the back of

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“On the back of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20the%20back%20of. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.

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