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.
Takaichi has not backed down from her position, however, and has continued to provoke Chinese officials. Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 29 Dec. 2025 Unlike Catherine Deneuve, who also spoke out against the movement, Bardot didn’t back down and apologize. Angelina Rascouet, Fortune, 28 Dec. 2025 The Administration has already been forced to back down on tariffs on food imports from Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Guatemala, with other countries also positioned to benefit. Ian Bremmer, Time, 28 Dec. 2025 The Democrats who had suffered so much scrutiny for dying on the hill of trans athletes in women's sports dating back to the last election cycle weren't backing down. Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 26 Dec. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Back down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back%20down. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!