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

The report details a scenario with a 50 percent chance of bringing global warming back down to 1.5C by 2100.

From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026

On the evening of Aug. 9, 2025, passengers on the Hanse Explorer finished taking selfies and videos of the South Sawyer Glacier, and the ship headed back down the fjord.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026

In the background: the towering, backward-curving ramp structure not unlike a skateboard halfpipe, which the car launched up before coming back down and going back up again.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Ranka later appeared on an Instagram live broadcast from a police bus alongside other detainees where they appeared cheerful and said they would not back down.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

He sat back down to his plate of Mrs. Ellsworth’s famous rigatoni and picked up his fork.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

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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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