back down

British  

verb

1. (intr, adverb) to withdraw an earlier claim

2. (tr) rowing to cause (a boat) to move backwards by pushing rather than pulling on the oars

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noun

1. abandonment of an earlier claim

back down Idioms  

1. Reverse one's upward course, descend. For example, When she saw the wasps' nest on the roof, she hastily backed down the ladder . This literal usage usually refers to something one has climbed, such as a ladder or mountain. [Mid-1800s]

2. Also, back off . Retreat or yield. For example, As the watchdog began to snarl the letter carrier backed off , or You have a good point; now don't back down when you present it to the board . [First half of 1900s] Also see back away , def. 2.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

back down

Scientists say it is crucial to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels to limit the period of "overshoot" above 1.5C and bring temperatures back down as quickly as possible.

From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026

Footage shows the security employee going back down the tunnel, presumably in search of the heckler, but it is unclear what happened after that.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026

It is possible that the Washington could leave the region and head back to its home port in Japan, bringing the force back down to two carriers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

A staffer hoisted a poster board showing purported texts alongside images of Smith, Willis and Wade and a photo of State Farm Arena, then yanked it back down with remarkable speed.

From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2026

And so was I, mostly because moving up that late in the year meant that no matter how badly I did, there wouldn’t be enough time to drop me back down again.

From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott

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Related Words

• abandon
• admit
• back off
• back out
• backtrack
• balk
• cancel
• cave in
• concede
• give in
• give up
• pull back
• pull out
• renege
• retreat
• surrender
• take back
• withdraw

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