1 B2 idiomatic neutral
To break or fail to honour a promise, agreement, or commitment.
"He promised to help move the furniture, but went back on his word at the last minute."
inseparable
go back on
B2 neutral inseparable transitive
To fail to honour a promise, agreement, or decision that was previously made.
In plain English
To break a promise — to say you'll do something and then not do it.
What does "go back on" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To reverse or abandon a decision that was previously made.
"The council went back on its earlier decision and approved the planning application."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To go backwards on something you committed to.
Actually means
To break a promise — to say you'll do something and then not do it.
Usage tip
Almost always used with 'promise', 'word', 'agreement', or 'deal'. Implies bad faith or unreliability. Common in political journalism ('the government went back on its pledge'). 'Go back on your word' is a very frequent fixed expression.
Words that pair with "go back on"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
promise word agreement deal decision pledge
How to conjugate "go back on"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
go back on
I/you/we/they
3rd person
goes back on
he/she/it
Past simple
went back on
yesterday
Past participle
gone back on
have + pp
-ing form
going back on
continuous
Hear "go back on" in the wild
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Keep exploring
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