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 Trump won't back down on 'Central Park Jogger' case. Alexander Mallin, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2024 Learn from experience, and don’t back down or give in to someone trying to monopolize your time. Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 20 Oct. 2024 The alarming number of book bans so far this year shows that the few who support censorship are not backing down. Anthony W. Marx, Dennis M. Walcott, TIME, 19 Oct. 2024 There would be no reason to suspect Courtney Williams had evolved into a stone-cold killer who will never back down from a big shot with the game in the balance, nor that Alanna Smith is a tenacious defender capable of locking down bigs who trump her in size. Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 12 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for back down 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'back down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near back down

Cite this Entry

“Back down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back%20down. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.

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
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