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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of back down
Tortorella brings the reputation into the veteran locker room of a fiery coach who doesn't back down from confrontations, often winning early before later wearing thin with his players.
—
ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
Lower the weight back down to mid-shin by pushing your hips back.
—Jim Diehl Cscs, Outside, 29 Mar. 2026
David Peterson, 24, and Cassidy Becker, 23, continued protesting without backing down.
—Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 28 Mar. 2026
Plato briefly stirred to life to announce that there had never been such a thing as a Department of Education, then shut back down.
—Alexandra Petri, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for back down
ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
Lower the weight back down to mid-shin by pushing your hips back.
—Jim Diehl Cscs, Outside, 29 Mar. 2026
David Peterson, 24, and Cassidy Becker, 23, continued protesting without backing down.
—Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 28 Mar. 2026
Plato briefly stirred to life to announce that there had never been such a thing as a Department of Education, then shut back down.
—Alexandra Petri, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for back down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back down
Verb
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One of those thefts was caught on camera, which showed a thief climb into the rear passenger side window, steal the airbag, and climb back out in less than two minutes before tossing the airbag in the trunk of a getaway car and driving off.—
Shardaa Gray,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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The Florida and Texas metros with the highest share of stale listings are all solid buyer’s markets, where buyers have the upper hand over sellers and can negotiate lower prices as well as backing out of unfavorable deals.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Ravens took a swing in the trade market, but backed off on an acquisition that would have brought star pass rusher Maxx Crosby for two first-round draft picks.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
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And some have backed off from a legal fight altogether and sold their refund rights to investment firms, often at a deep discount, figuring that getting something is better than risk getting nothing.—
Alison Graham Larson,
The Conversation,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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To say these machines are too expense is a cop out.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
7 Mar. 2026
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Rather than throwing those bad cops out of the union and asking for better training so cops will never have to ask what to do when a fellow cop appears to have broken the law, Hendry encourages them.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Stout recalled a gopher tortoise his family called Herman that lived nearby for a few years during Stout’s childhood.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
4 Apr. 2026
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The late royal's former personal chef Darren McGrady recalled cooking dishes like spaghetti bolognese and Sol Florentine.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Back down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/back%20down. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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