off my soapbox

Meanings

1. 1phraseidiominformalfigurative

   finished giving your strong opinion or moral lecture to other people.

   Grammar: Used after a verb such as get, come or step, as in 'Let me get off my soapbox.'

   Patterns

   • get off my soapbox
   • step off my soapbox
   • come off my soapbox

   Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now and let someone else talk.

   She finally stepped off her soapbox and asked what the rest of us thought.

   He came off his soapbox long enough to listen to the other side.

2. 2phraseidiominformaldisapproving

   no longer speaking in a preachy or self-righteous way about an issue.

   Grammar: Often used in the phrase 'off your soapbox', meaning you have stopped lecturing.

   Patterns

   • be off your soapbox
   • stay off your soapbox

   It was a relief when the guest was off his soapbox and the debate could begin.

   Once she is off her soapbox, she is actually good fun at parties.

Common combinations

get off my soapbox

I'll get off my soapbox and let you speak.

step off your soapbox

He stepped off his soapbox and joined the discussion.

come off your soapbox

Come off your soapbox for a minute and listen.

be back on your soapbox

She was back on her soapbox about recycling again.

Synonyms and how they differ

stop preaching

A plain phrase for the same idea, but it sounds more critical and less joking than 'off my soapbox'.

get down from the pulpit

A similar image of lecturing from a high place, but it is used mostly about religious or very formal speeches.

Opposites

Word family

soapbox noun

a small raised platform, or a way of describing someone giving strong public opinions.

Commonly confused: off my soapbox or on my soapbox?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “off my soapbox”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words