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

Morocco is to co-host the 2030 World Cup and Moroccan Football chief Fouzi Lekjaa is one of the few to have publicly supported Infantino since the humiliating climbdown.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

The significance of this climbdown is hard to overstate.

From Slate ● Mar. 24, 2026

After a minor climbdown, Infantino defended the prices and said they reflected the public's "absolutely crazy" demand.

From BBC ● Feb. 25, 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

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