back down

VERB

back off

Synonyms

STRONGEST

abandon admit back off back out backtrack balk cancel cave in concede give in give up pull back pull out renege retreat surrender take back withdraw

WEAK

accede acquiesce back pedal beg off bow out chicken out cop out demur give ground go back on have no fight left hold back recant recoil resign submit wimp out withdraw from agreement or statement yield

Antonyms

STRONGEST

advance allow dispute dissent fight permit refuse reject uphold

WEAK

go forward

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

back down

Hot plasma rises from deeper inside the Sun, cools near the surface, and then sinks back down.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 8, 2026

Warsh has said repeatedly that he is committed to bringing inflation back down to the Fed’s 2% target.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026

That memory was in mind as the Edinburgh athlete slowly worked his way back down the home straight from the podium after his emotional medal ceremony.

From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026

Despite the dismissal, Burgum vowed that the administration “won’t back down to deranged people who want to destroy, deface, or degrade our monuments.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026

I looked back down again, away from Mama’s glowing, and right then all of the pain from the past months was in me and around me.

From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan

back down

Example Sentences

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Related Words