as in to back 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 back down
After breakfast, head back down the mountain and jump in the car for a short ride to the National Museum of Wildlife Art.
—
Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 6 Jan. 2025
Then the Valley was expected to cool back down to the lower 70s by Saturday, Young mentioned.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 2 Jan. 2025
That could paradoxically inflate the Federal Register again, but freezing the Biden agenda should nonetheless bring the count back down next year to something less extreme.
—Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
Grayson refused to back down from his hyperbolic rhetoric.
—Jack Butler, National Review, 29 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for back down 
Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 6 Jan. 2025
Then the Valley was expected to cool back down to the lower 70s by Saturday, Young mentioned.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 2 Jan. 2025
That could paradoxically inflate the Federal Register again, but freezing the Biden agenda should nonetheless bring the count back down next year to something less extreme.
—Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
Grayson refused to back down from his hyperbolic rhetoric.
—Jack Butler, National Review, 29 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for back down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back down
Verb
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The city is being urged to back out of the current project and adopt the conservancy’s design concept.Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 15 Jan. 2025
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Related Articles Buyer backs out of major Oakland property sale, delaying crucial budget salve The county supervisors unanimously established a 30-day timeline for new terms to be met over the sale of the 112-acre Coliseum Complex, which includes the stadium, arena and surrounding parking lots.Shomik Mukherjee, The Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The point guard backed off to the perimeter as Jokic sized up Wembanyama and prepared to improvise.Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 4 Jan. 2025
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After major backlash this week, which coincided with the killing of another insurer’s CEO in New York City, Anthem backed off.Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill, 5 Dec. 2024
Verb
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About 20 minutes later, the two cops out in front were joined by a third officer.Melody Chiu, People.com, 7 Jan. 2025
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The judges avoid giving critiques to the girls this week but do talk among one another, which is kind of weird but also means that nobody gets to cop out of Rate-a-Queen and just imitate the judges.Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 3 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The trick is to use at least two shades of blush and a highlighter to recall a beachside sunset on the skin.Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 5 Jan. 2025
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Survivors recall the eerie stillness of the ocean before the sharks arrived.Scott Travers, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near back down
Cite this Entry
“Back down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/back%20down. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.
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