climbdown

American  

[klahym-doun] / ˈklaɪmˌdaʊn /

noun

Chiefly British.

1. a retreat from a policy, opinion, position in a debate, etc..

   The government’s recent climbdown from its wage freeze policy is just another instance of the flip-flopping that infuriates voters.

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Etymology

Origin of climbdown

First recorded in 1905–10; climb ( def. ) + down ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

The significance of this climbdown is hard to overstate.

From Slate • Mar. 24, 2026

However, the “future deal” on Greenland is still up in the air and therefore it is hard to know what caused the sudden climbdown.

From Barron's • Jan. 22, 2026

However, the “future deal” on Greenland is still up in the air and therefore it is hard to know what caused the sudden climbdown.

From Barron's • Jan. 22, 2026

The BBC understands the climbdown will apply only to pubs and not the whole hospitality sector.

From BBC • Jan. 8, 2026

The KLA was the only force, which could have delivered the climbdown.

From After the Rain : how the West lost the East by Vaknin, Samuel