stand-down

1 of 2

noun

ˈstan(d)-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce stand-down (audio)
: a relaxation of status of a military unit or force from an alert or operational posture

stand down

2 of 2

verb

stood down; standing down; stands down

intransitive verb

1
: to leave the witness stand
2
chiefly British
a
: to go off duty
b
: to withdraw from a contest, a position of leadership, or a state of alert or readiness

transitive verb

: to remove from active duty
In December of 1944, it was judged safe to stand down the Home Guard … after four and a half years of guarding Britain against invasion.—Anthony Bailey

Examples of stand-down in a Sentence

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.
Noun
On Friday, the Army announced a temporary stand-down of AH64 Apache training flight operations. — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 14 Aug. 2026 The union said Monday marked Day 4 of the safety stand-down, including refresher training for drivers and engaging with outside experts. — Lisa Rozner, CBS News, 22 June 2026
Verb
The most bitter setback came when the state largely just stood down, in 2020 and since, after the Madigan transgressions created a mandate for transformative change. — David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026 Farage, who is the leader of anti-immigration party Reform UK, stood down in the hope the election could put to bed awkward questions about his finances. — ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stand-down

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1916, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1651, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stand-down was in 1651

Rhymes for stand-down

See All Rhymes for stand-down

Browse Nearby Words

stand by
stand-down
stand down
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stand-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stand-down. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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