as in to back down
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of climb down
La Casa has a large, centralized pool; the beach is a good climb down a pathway carved into the cliff; and the grounds have a grass tennis court and croquet lawn, too.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
But even if the White House finds a ladder to climb down, that may only temper short-term volatility.
—Fred Imbert, CNBC, 21 Jan. 2026
The boys agree to take turns guarding the door, and Bundle shrugs off the latest of Bill’s urgings to stay out of harm’s way to pop back to her room, put on an all-black cat-burglar-type ensemble, and attempt to climb down the ivy from her bedroom to the front of the house.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026
The man grabbed a ladder and helped his wife safely climb down.
—Chelsea Hylton, CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025
Gomez jumped off the cover onto the grass below, down nine feet, to get a ladder so his wife could climb down to safety.
—Sierra Van Der Brug, Oc Register, 5 Dec. 2025
Both sides have appeared to climb down from that latest escalation following eleventh-hour trade talks between top negotiators this weekend in Malaysia.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2025
His thesis is that if the GOP sticks together, Senate Democrats would have to climb down and accept House Republicans’ spending bill to get through the next seven weeks.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 30 Sep. 2025
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
But even if the White House finds a ladder to climb down, that may only temper short-term volatility.
—Fred Imbert, CNBC, 21 Jan. 2026
The boys agree to take turns guarding the door, and Bundle shrugs off the latest of Bill’s urgings to stay out of harm’s way to pop back to her room, put on an all-black cat-burglar-type ensemble, and attempt to climb down the ivy from her bedroom to the front of the house.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026
The man grabbed a ladder and helped his wife safely climb down.
—Chelsea Hylton, CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025
Gomez jumped off the cover onto the grass below, down nine feet, to get a ladder so his wife could climb down to safety.
—Sierra Van Der Brug, Oc Register, 5 Dec. 2025
Both sides have appeared to climb down from that latest escalation following eleventh-hour trade talks between top negotiators this weekend in Malaysia.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2025
His thesis is that if the GOP sticks together, Senate Democrats would have to climb down and accept House Republicans’ spending bill to get through the next seven weeks.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 30 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for climb down
Verb
-
This week, for the first time at the Olympics, skiers will scamper uphill wearing carpet-like skins on their skis or just their stiff boots, then barrel back down an ungroomed course.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
15 Feb. 2026
-
While Lee and Hauswald prepare to roll out their vision, Houston, the City Council member, has not backed down from his push to expedite clearings of tents and RVs.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Aquarius moon meeting Pluto encourages you to pull away from the world and retreat for integration.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
15 Feb. 2026
-
The Lions used a four-point possession early in the fourth to help pull away.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Climb down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/climb%20down. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
