stand-down

1 of 2

noun

ˈstan(d)-ˌdau̇n 

: a relaxation of status of a military unit or force from an alert or operational posture

stand down

2 of 2

verb

stood down; standing down; stands down

intransitive verb

1

: to leave the witness stand

2

chiefly British

a

: to go off duty

b

: to withdraw from a contest, a position of leadership, or a state of alert or readiness

transitive verb

: to remove from active duty

In December of 1944, it was judged safe to stand down the Home Guard … after four and a half years of guarding Britain against invasion.

—Anthony Bailey

Examples of stand-down in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The union said Monday marked Day 4 of the safety stand-down, including refresher training for drivers and engaging with outside experts. — Lisa Rozner, CBS News, 22 June 2026

Along with honoring the two workers — killed within 24 hours of one another in Twin Cities construction zones — the first-ever statewide safety stand-down day included discussions and sharing of experiences to help workers improve safety. — Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 30 Sep. 2025

Verb

Both sides agreed to stand down in the days following last month's exchange amid a tenuous ceasefire as negotiations to end the war are underway. — Garrett Downs,lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 7 July 2026

Although both sides have since agreed to stand down, tensions remain high. — Tiago Ventura, Time, 30 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1916, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1651, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for stand-down

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