on the back of

phrase

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

Police in the Mazovia province, which counts Warsaw as one of its cities, posted a photo on X showing a policeman, his hand placed on the back of a person lying down with hands tied in the back. — ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026

Police in the Mazovia province, which includes both Ostroleka and Warsaw, posted a photo on X showing a policeman with his hand placed on the back of a person lying down with their hands tied behind their back. — Claudia Ciobanu, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

While the on-board controls are somewhat unintuitively placed on the back of the speakers, the M90s come with an all-purpose remote that gives you intuitive controls over volume, playback control, and device connectivity. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 6 Oct. 2026

Law enforcement findings Kansas City Police arrived at the scene and found Jones on the ground with a gunshot wound on the back of his head and upper back, according to court records. — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2026

Rhymes for on the back of

• hereinabove
• above
• foxglove
• hereof
• thereof
• whereof
• dove
• glove
• love
• shove