back down

verb

backed down; backing down; backs down

intransitive verb

: to withdraw from a commitment or position

Examples of back down in a Sentence

if you back down about dinner again, I'm not going to agree to another date
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Newton challenged her stance, questioning how her comments aligned with the idea of uplifting women, but Michelle didn’t back down. Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 16 June 2025 That means that for years, garbage trucks had to back down this dead end to make pickups -- a regular, noisy nuisance. Arkansas Online, 15 June 2025 The conflict is also unlikely to be over even if Iran quickly backs down. Foreign Affairs, 13 June 2025 Cruise was strapped to the side of an Airbus A400M Atlas military transport aircraft and rode it from take-off to 5,000 ft (1,524 m) and back down – eight times (there must be something to Cruise and the number eight). Joe Salas june 07, New Atlas, 7 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for back down

Word History

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of back down was in 1849

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Back down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back%20down. Accessed 22 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

back down

verb
: to retreat from a stand one has taken or from a challenge one has accepted

More from Merriam-Webster on back down

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!