back down
Britishverb
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(intr, adverb) to withdraw an earlier claim
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(tr) rowing to cause (a boat) to move backwards by pushing rather than pulling on the oars
noun
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Reverse one's upward course, descend. For example, When she saw the wasps' nest on the roof, she hastily backed down the ladder . This literal usage usually refers to something one has climbed, such as a ladder or mountain. [Mid-1800s]
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Also, back off . Retreat or yield. For example, As the watchdog began to snarl the letter carrier backed off , or You have a good point; now don't back down when you present it to the board . [First half of 1900s] Also see back away , def. 2.
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.
Meta may have the biggest incentive to back down.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Burnham has announced a series of new measures since assuming office last week, including cuts to electricity bills and bringing the bus fare cap in most parts of England back down to £2.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Optical-networking stocks have come back down to earth in recent months, and a Barclays analyst thinks that Lumentum Holdings shares now look attractive in the wake of their selloff.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
Both believe they emerged from this war with the upper hand; both believe the other will be forced by its own weaknesses to back down first.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
I limped back down the mountain and went to bed without saying good night to anyone.
From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan
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.
