back down
Britishverb
-
(intr, adverb) to withdraw an earlier claim
-
(tr) rowing to cause (a boat) to move backwards by pushing rather than pulling on the oars
noun
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012-
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]
-
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.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
However, the judge refused to back down and noted that she will not make a decision until the bank statement is revealed.
From MarketWatch
Beijing has demanded that Ms. Takaichi retract the statement that sparked the conflict, but backing down would be politically costly for her in Japan.
"Having so many good years in a row, it brings you back down to earth and you just have to work harder. I still really want to win every event and I'm not miles away."
From BBC
The airflow then starts working again, sucking the car back down until the same phenomenon is repeated.
From BBC
When the Black Friday sales launched on 21 November, it was back down to £309.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
