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

Don’t back down from the rain Sam and Jasmin’s wedding day started out a bit drizzly, a rarity for early summer in Istanbul. — Kaitlin Menza, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Nov. 2026

But Iranian leaders won’t back down in the face of more force. — Daniel W. Drezner, Foreign Affairs, 4 Nov. 2026

Solar activity eventually dragged the telescope back down to Earth. — News Editor, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026

Inflation had come back down to earth in the last year of Joe Biden’s presidency, but that wasn’t enough to convince voters to give Democrats another chance in 2024. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 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