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
According to sources, Stephanopoulos was blindsided, unaware that Disney would back down in such a public manner until a few hours before the news broke.
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Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 18 Dec. 2024
Miragaia likely swung its tail to drive off predators, and perhaps cause rivals to back down, rather than trying to strike potential threats.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Dec. 2024
But, of course, since this Super is not really Superman or Supergirl and can’t really fly, gravity brings the person back down.
—Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
Broadway settled back down to some post-Thanksgiving normalcy last week, dropping about 9% to $42,021,721 from the holiday high of the previous week.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 10 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for back down 
Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 18 Dec. 2024
Miragaia likely swung its tail to drive off predators, and perhaps cause rivals to back down, rather than trying to strike potential threats.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Dec. 2024
But, of course, since this Super is not really Superman or Supergirl and can’t really fly, gravity brings the person back down.
—Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
Broadway settled back down to some post-Thanksgiving normalcy last week, dropping about 9% to $42,021,721 from the holiday high of the previous week.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 10 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for back down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back down
Verb
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Daughtry, citing Trump’s endorsement, backed out and endorsed Knott.Mark Harris, The Hill, 11 Dec. 2024
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Joel, who ended a residency of his own at Madison Square Garden over the summer, will next perform on Long Island for New Year's Eve before heading back out on the road early next year.Sarah Michaud, People.com, 25 Nov. 2024
Verb
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So the hunter backed off, hoping the buck would survive until the following season.Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 20 Dec. 2024
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For now, Trump isn't backing off his tariff threats.Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Yair Lapid, Israel’s opposition leader, also condemned Israel’s move dubbing it a cop out.Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 16 Dec. 2024
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Who's the cat that won't cop out when there's danger all about?Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 22 July 2024
Verb
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Additionally in November, Volkswagen recalled over 114,000 vehicles across the U.S. due to concerns over the risk of an airbag exploding.Tim Ryan, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
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One intelligence officer tasked with authorizing a strike recalled dedicating roughly 20 seconds to personally confirming a target, which could amount to verifying that the individual in question was male.Yasmeen Serhan, TIME, 18 Dec. 2024
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 31 Dec. 2024.
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