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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
The students also said that Harvard has offered to retract the suspensions of more than 20 students and student workers and back down on disciplinary measures faced by 60 more.
—Michael Casey, Fortune, 14 May 2024
Once at the top of Mother Miguel Mountain, hikers can take a rest — and try to spot the many San Diego County landmarks — before finding their way back down.
—Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 May 2024
But even though Israel followed through on some of the commitments on humanitarian aid, Mr. Netanyahu was not backing down on Rafah.
—Peter Baker, New York Times, 11 May 2024
But unlike the first game, where players are ascending to the surface, the daughter of Hades is on a quest to descend back down to Tartarus to reclaim her familial dominion.
—Nikki McCann Ramirez, Rolling Stone, 9 May 2024
Not backing down, my sister, clad in pajamas and robe, fled into the freezing night.
—Emmi S. Herman, STAT, 7 May 2024
Climbers who aim to summit Everest typically spend up to two months on the mountain, including weeks making short, incremental ascents above base camp and back down again.
—Alton C. Byers, The Conversation, 1 May 2024
Still, hundreds of thousands of people are expected to queue up this summer to launch more than 400 feet in the air at 100-plus-mph, free-fall backward, shoot up again — and plunge, spiral-twisting headfirst back down to earth, feeling the wind in their face and a death-defying rush.
—Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 2 May 2024
Cocoa prices are melting back down to Earth… sort of.
—Morgan Haefner, Quartz, 2 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'back down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1849, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near back down
Cite this Entry
“Back down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back%20down. Accessed 21 May. 2024.
Kids Definition
back down
verb
: to retreat from a stand one has taken or from a challenge one has accepted
More from Merriam-Webster on back down
Nglish: Translation of back down for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of back down for Arabic Speakers
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