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
-
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.
The tankers then come back down the Gulf and out of the Strait of Hormuz, to China - the main buyer of Iranian oil.
From BBC
Russell easily passed him back down the straight to the hairpin of Turn 14 before Hamilton attacked and passed him around the outside of Turn One at the start of the second lap.
From BBC
Eventually, that strategy would pay off because VIX eventually has to come back down to earth.
From MarketWatch
“When it goes up this rapidly, airfares go up. They also come down, by the way, when fuel goes back down,” United Airlines Chief Executive Scott Kirby said.
As of Thursday morning, the chance of such a quick end was back down to 22%.
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.
