back down

verb

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

intransitive verb

: to withdraw from a commitment or position

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.
There is only an outdated technicality that forces grocery stores to heat chickens and cool them back down just to comply, wasting energy, degrading quality, and adding cost. Kelly McCarthy, ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026 Parents just can't bring themselves to back down. Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026 Larsen, meanwhile, isn’t backing down. Bloomberg, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026 Slowly lower your body back down to the starting position with control and complete more reps until fatigue, but make sure your form stays consistent. Jakob Roze, Health, 21 Apr. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Back down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back%20down. Accessed 1 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

back down

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

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