back down

verb

backed down; backing down; backs down
Synonyms of back downnext

intransitive verb

: to withdraw from a commitment or position

Synonyms of back down

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Examples of back down in a Sentence

if you back down about dinner again, I'm not going to agree to another date
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The curious boys climbed onto the roof of their home for a better look, but climbed back down when scolded by their grandmother. — Rina Nakano, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026 China would thus have the last clear chance to back down from all-out warfare. — Eugene Gholz, Foreign Affairs, 4 Aug. 2026 Pause briefly at the top, then lower the heels back down to the ground with control. — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026 Indeed, most are tumbling back down the levels after a few years of academy football. — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for back down

Word History

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of back down was in 1849

Rhymes for back down

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Browse Nearby Words

backdoor trots
back down
back draft
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Cite this Entry

“Back down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back%20down. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

back down

verb
: to retreat from a stand one has taken or from a challenge one has accepted

More from Merriam-Webster on back down

Nglish: Translation of back down for Spanish Speakers

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