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

See Examples For:

climbdown

The significance of this climbdown is hard to overstate.

From Slate ● Mar. 24, 2026

European Council President Antonio Costa says the bloc "will continue to stand up for its interests" and defend itself "against any form of coercion" following US President Donald Trump's climbdown on Greenland.

From Barron's ● Jan. 23, 2026

It’s tempting to see the layoffs as an embarrassing climbdown, but the pivot to smart glasses makes a lot of sense.

From Barron's ● Jan. 15, 2026

The government is expected to announce a climbdown on the increases to business rates bills faced by pubs in England in the coming days.

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 Samuel Vaknin