back down

verb

backed down; backing down; backs down

intransitive verb

: to withdraw from a commitment or position

Synonyms of back down

• back out
• back off
• cop out
• recall

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

For nearly two hours, 1,800 American troops stood their ground against seasoned British and Hessian regulars in open-field combat before driving the enemy back down the slope. — Harry Ostrer, New York Daily News, 16 Sep. 2026

Suddenly, yellow smoke fills the doorway and the officers race back down the stairs. — ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026

Letting your ego get out of control can often bring you crashing back down to earth. — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026

An Arizona mom out in her neighborhood flying a kite with her 4-year-old daughter a couple of Sundays ago found herself in a fight with a coyote that refused to back down. — Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for back down

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown

Kids Definition

back down

verb

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