give ground

Idioms  

1. Yield to a stronger force, retreat, as in He began to give ground on that point, although he didn't stop arguing entirely. This expression originated in the 1500s, when it alluded to a military force retreating and so giving up territory to the enemy. By the mid-1600s it was being used figuratively.

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Example Sentences

However, the notable absence of Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang on the trip could suggest the U.S. is less likely to give ground on technology restrictions.

From Barron's • May 12, 2026

Did the SFA give ground on some of the points raised?

From BBC • Sep. 14, 2023

The 24-year-old Mbappé is locked in a contract standoff and neither side seems prepared to give ground.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 27, 2023

But the endeavor faces long odds, with little evidence that either side is willing to give ground on a debate that has been stalled for years.

From New York Times • Jun. 2, 2022

He thought reason, opinion and authority should all give ground before experience, but he lacked the language in which to express this simple idea.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• abandon
• back down
• back off
• backtrack
• depart
• escape
• evacuate
• fall back
• go
• go back
• hide
• leave
• pull out
• recede
• reel
• retire
• reverse
• shrink
• withdraw