climb-down
noun
a retreat, as from an indefensible opinion or position.
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climb-down
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climb down
climb downverbto descend
climb-down
American
[klahym-doun]
/ ˈklaɪmˌdaʊn /
noun
climb down
British
verb
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to descend
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(often foll by from) to retreat (from an opinion, position, etc)
noun
Etymology
Origin of climb-down
First recorded in 1885–90; noun use of verb phrase climb down
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.
See Examples For:
What he didn’t mention, though, was that China’s retaliation against the U.S. with triple-digit tariffs eventually led Washington to a climb-down as markets revolted.
From Barron's ● Jan. 20, 2026
Privately, though, they said that was exactly the reason for the climb-down, and Trump himself conceded that markets were getting a little too “yippy” for his taste.
From Slate ● Apr. 12, 2025
Arm's return as a public company represents a climb-down from the $64 billion it was valued at last month when SoftBank bought the 25% stake it did not directly own from its Vision Fund unit.
From Reuters ● Sep. 14, 2023
But Friday’s climb-down underscored the stakes of the upcoming 2022 election in Uttar Pradesh, experts say.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 19, 2021
He could not draw back now—it would be too much of a climb-down; and it would never do for him, the football captain, to show the white feather.
From Gunpowder Treason and Plot And Other Stories for Boys by Harold Avery
“They showed they could weather the storm and the administration had to climb down from the tariffs and spend most of the past year trying to mollify China.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 2026
Astronauts can’t parachute to the surface, or climb down a rope ladder, or just beam themselves down from the Transporter Room.
From Slate ● Mar. 13, 2026
It takes some 45 seconds for a crane operator to climb down, let alone reach a shelter, Berestenko said.
From Barron's ● Feb. 27, 2026
Biologists had to use a ladder to climb down into the space for his weekly feedings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 3, 2025
She put the spyglass in her pocket and began the long climb down to the ground.
From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman
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.
