as in backed off
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 backed down
Getting backed down by Dončić was only one piece of an embarrassing bloodbath for the Bulls that highlighted every facet of this team’s defensive deficiencies.
—
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
Apple never backed down and the FBI found a way to unlock the phone anyway, using bugs that already existed in Apple’s code, effectively providing the back door that law enforcement sought in the first place.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 25 Feb. 2026
Google appears to have backed down in its AI dispute with Disney.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 9 Feb. 2026
The administration has eased its tone and admitted mistakes in its immigration enforcement campaign since Pretti’s killing, but hasn’t backed down completely or paused operations in Minneapolis, as critics demanded.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
And Zelensky just hasn’t backed down, and Zelensky’s had the temerity to take him on, on a number of occasions, to push back.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 Jan. 2026
Twelves hooked up to a hydrant, and Alves grabbed a chainsaw off the rig to trim some of the trees along the houses as the fire backed down the hill toward them.
—Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
Israel was reluctant to agree to a UN mandate for the international force but backed down under US pressure, according to a senior Israeli official.
—Eugenia Yosef, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
And more than anything, more than the animosity between the programs, more than the College Football Playoff impact, more than Notre Dame puffing its chest out as USC backed down, that familiarity was the real higher power at work.
—Pete Sampson, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
Apple never backed down and the FBI found a way to unlock the phone anyway, using bugs that already existed in Apple’s code, effectively providing the back door that law enforcement sought in the first place.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 25 Feb. 2026
Google appears to have backed down in its AI dispute with Disney.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 9 Feb. 2026
The administration has eased its tone and admitted mistakes in its immigration enforcement campaign since Pretti’s killing, but hasn’t backed down completely or paused operations in Minneapolis, as critics demanded.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
And Zelensky just hasn’t backed down, and Zelensky’s had the temerity to take him on, on a number of occasions, to push back.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 Jan. 2026
Twelves hooked up to a hydrant, and Alves grabbed a chainsaw off the rig to trim some of the trees along the houses as the fire backed down the hill toward them.
—Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
Israel was reluctant to agree to a UN mandate for the international force but backed down under US pressure, according to a senior Israeli official.
—Eugenia Yosef, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
And more than anything, more than the animosity between the programs, more than the College Football Playoff impact, more than Notre Dame puffing its chest out as USC backed down, that familiarity was the real higher power at work.
—Pete Sampson, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backed down
Verb
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And some have backed off from a legal fight altogether and sold their refund rights to investment firms, often at a deep discount, figuring that getting something is better than risk getting nothing.—
Alison Graham Larson,
The Conversation,
26 Mar. 2026
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Less than a month later, TSA committed to boost staffing, and Southwell backed off his threat.—
Kelly Yamanouchi,
AJC.com,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The board’s decision to rename the center was followed by an exodus of artists who backed out of events, including Philip Glass and Renee Fleming.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The school allegedly backed out of the lease.—
Penny Kmitt,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backed down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backed%20down. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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