Military. a temporary cessation of offensive actions; cease-fire; truce.
a stand-down for the Christmas holidays.
a work stoppage or layoff.
(intr) to resign or withdraw, esp in favour of another
(intr) to leave the witness box in a court of law after giving evidence
to go or be taken off duty
Leave a witness stand, as in The judge told her to stand down . [Late 1600s]
Withdraw, as from a political contest or a game or race, as in Harry decided to stand down as a candidate for mayor . [Late 1800s]
Go off duty, as in The American forces were ordered to stand down . [Early 1900s]
First recorded in 1920–25; noun use of verb phrase stand down
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The boats were rejecting commands and were unable to reliably maneuver away from other traffic, prompting a safety stand-down, according to people familiar with the exercise.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 27, 2025
Curry was cleared to play after coming through his 12-day stand-down period, and his inclusion in a full-strength side against Japan only points to England's need for a positive outcome.
From BBC • Nov. 24, 2024
President Bill Clinton helped mediate a stand-down, then signed the U.S.–China Military Maritime Consultative Agreement, which established a forum to discuss these sorts of disputes, while also reviving a U.S. military treaty with the Philippines.
From Slate • Oct. 4, 2023
“During this stand-down, we will focus on safety and training protocols to ensure our pilots and crews have the knowledge, training and awareness to safely complete their assigned mission.”
From New York Times • Apr. 28, 2023
“I’m sorry,” I said, hands out in a stand-down gesture.
From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer
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.
