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

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 poised to announce a climbdown on forthcoming increases to the business rates bill faced by pubs.

From BBC • Jan. 8, 2026

The UK government said Tuesday it will raise inheritance tax thresholds for farmers' estates from £1 million to £2.5 million, signalling a major climbdown of a policy that triggered months of protests.

From Barron's • Dec. 23, 2025

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