to go back on one's word
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To withdraw what one has said; to refuse to perform what one has promised. To go back on a person is to betray him.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to go back on one's word” mean?
To withdraw what one has said; to refuse to perform what one has promised. To go back on a person is to betray him.
Is “to go back on one's word” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.