back down

verb

backed down; backing down; backs down
Synonyms of back downnext

intransitive verb

: to withdraw from a commitment or position

Synonyms of back down

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Examples of back down in a Sentence

if you back down about dinner again, I'm not going to agree to another date
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Deforestation in the Amazon soared under former President Bolsonaro, while Lula has brought it back down to the lowest in a decade. — ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026 There’s seat-shaking violence in how the whale breaches the surface and slams its weight back down (the crafty sound design is by James Miller) and body horror in its claustrophobic, spongy inner chambers. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026 Dragon will stay attached to the ISS for about a month, then head back down to Earth with scientific experiments and other hardware. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 12 Oct. 2026 Any positive commentary out of companies this earnings season could help lift the S & P 500 , which rallied to all-time highs just this week before a sharp escalation in yields brought it back down. — Sarah Min, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for back down

Word History

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of back down was in 1849

Rhymes for back down

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Browse Nearby Words

backdoor trots
back down
back draft
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Cite this Entry

“Back down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back%20down. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

back down

verb
: to retreat from a stand one has taken or from a challenge one has accepted
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