as in backing 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 backing down
And today, the Cuban government is surging hundreds of thousands of people right past its front door with a clear message -- the Cuban government is not backing down.
—
ABC News, 3 May 2026
When Mamdani’s predecessor Eric Adams proposed simply letting schools’ funding shrink along with enrollment, he was sued, protested against, and, eventually, bullied into backing down.
—Marc Novicoff, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
And similar to 23 years ago, these Pistons don’t plan on backing down either.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Apr. 2026
Larsen, meanwhile, isn’t backing down.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026
Trump has pushed back on the notion of backing down, framing his brinkmanship as a savvy negotiating tactic.
—Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2026
Tehran shows no signs of backing down.
—Michael Loria, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
Iran, meanwhile, gave no signs of backing down.
—David Rising, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
But Iran showed no signs of backing down.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 20 Mar. 2026
ABC News, 3 May 2026
When Mamdani’s predecessor Eric Adams proposed simply letting schools’ funding shrink along with enrollment, he was sued, protested against, and, eventually, bullied into backing down.
—Marc Novicoff, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
And similar to 23 years ago, these Pistons don’t plan on backing down either.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Apr. 2026
Larsen, meanwhile, isn’t backing down.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026
Trump has pushed back on the notion of backing down, framing his brinkmanship as a savvy negotiating tactic.
—Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2026
Tehran shows no signs of backing down.
—Michael Loria, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
Iran, meanwhile, gave no signs of backing down.
—David Rising, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
But Iran showed no signs of backing down.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backing down
Verb
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Before backing out of the driveway, check the hoses, the belts, and the tires.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
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The Chargers reminded Baltimore of the Ravens backing out of their trade with the Raiders for Maxx Crosby.—
Teresa M. Walker,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2026
Verb
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These and other moves might suggest San Diego is backing off its years-long effort to encourage more housing development with hopes that boosting supply will help moderate sky-high prices.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 May 2026
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This began with the system changes agreed upon before the Miami Grand Prix to reduce drivers backing off to boost energy harvesting (when the car’s electrical systems recover power under braking and store it in the battery) and to reduce dangerous closing speeds between cars.—
Alex Kalinauckas,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backing down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backing%20down. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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