as in to back out
to break a promise or agreement
if you back down about dinner again, I'm not going to agree to another date
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Recent Examples of back down
Additionally, Davies previously told EW that the Disney+ deal gave Doctor Who a larger budget for every episode, which presumably means that the streamer's departure will bring the budgets back down to the show's pre-Disney days.
—
Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2025
That means if someone hits one of its barriers and damages it, it can be ground back down to crumb rubber and reassembled into a brand-new product.
—Matthew Geiger, Denver Post, 28 Oct. 2025
Second, to expect this president to back down, especially over distressed federal workers, is never going to happen.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2025
This phenomenon involves cooler, heavier blobs of plasma that condense high above the Sun's surface and then plunge back down.
—Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for back down
Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2025
That means if someone hits one of its barriers and damages it, it can be ground back down to crumb rubber and reassembled into a brand-new product.
—Matthew Geiger, Denver Post, 28 Oct. 2025
Second, to expect this president to back down, especially over distressed federal workers, is never going to happen.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2025
This phenomenon involves cooler, heavier blobs of plasma that condense high above the Sun's surface and then plunge back down.
—Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for back down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back down
Verb
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Shanahan was asked if Jones' solid play has any effect on how quickly the team gets Purdy back out on the field.—
Matt Audilet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
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All the charges, however, weren't bail-eligible due to the state's 2019 no-bail law, sending Gooding back out onto the streets.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Dado Ruvic | Reuters Bitcoin on Tuesday plunged below $100,000 for the first time in more than four months, as cryptocurrency holders backed off the risk-on asset amid growing concerns about the sustainability of stock valuations driven to stratospheric heights by the artificial intelligence trade.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
4 Nov. 2025
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In Cincinnati's case, the developer and city backed off, ending the referendum.—
Carl Weiser,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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On Thursday, there were 652 officers on the force, with nearly 100 cops out on some kind of administrative or medical leave.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
8 Aug. 2025
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But with that brief wave of hope came new footage on Twitter every night of the NYPD acting like bad cops out of a Harvey Keitel flick: cops harassing peaceful crowds, cops kettling activists, cops literally driving a car into a crowd of protestors.—
Maris Kreizman,
Rolling Stone,
24 June 2025
Verb
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Now in her 90s, Riddick recalled the early days of the Pumpkin Roll, when the event wasn't officially sanctioned by the city and someone at the bottom of Midland Road would tell people by radio whether there was oncoming traffic on Kavanaugh or not.—
Daniel McFadin,
Arkansas Online,
3 Nov. 2025
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Growing up, Schwarzenegger Pratt recalls her mother creating an environment of open communication at home with her and her three siblings.—
Anna Halkidis,
Parents,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Back down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/back%20down. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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