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
Inflation could rise starting in a few months and then move back down toward our target possibly as early as by the end of this year.
—
Quartz Staff, Quartz, 14 Apr. 2025
But this community can’t afford to back down from the opportunity the Kaley Street facility represents, and local leaders need to know their constituents understand that.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Apr. 2025
Although global markets became somewhat calmer after Mr. Trump stepped back from some of his tariffs, his apparent willingness to provoke severe distress in the stock market raises a crucial question: When governments make unpopular or ill-advised decisions, what can force them to back down?
—Amanda Taub, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Though such high-level meetings typically take weeks or even months to plan, the timing of the announcements – just days after the two economic superpowers imposed record-high tariffs on each other – underscores Xi’s message that China is not backing down.
—Nectar Gan, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for back down
Quartz Staff, Quartz, 14 Apr. 2025
But this community can’t afford to back down from the opportunity the Kaley Street facility represents, and local leaders need to know their constituents understand that.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Apr. 2025
Although global markets became somewhat calmer after Mr. Trump stepped back from some of his tariffs, his apparent willingness to provoke severe distress in the stock market raises a crucial question: When governments make unpopular or ill-advised decisions, what can force them to back down?
—Amanda Taub, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Though such high-level meetings typically take weeks or even months to plan, the timing of the announcements – just days after the two economic superpowers imposed record-high tariffs on each other – underscores Xi’s message that China is not backing down.
—Nectar Gan, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for back down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back down
Verb
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Dave didn’t want to go back out.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
23 Mar. 2025
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And the new Bet Back Token gives customers a chance to back out of a bad bet.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Even if investors are slightly more confident this week, after Trump backed off most of his harshest tariff rates, the changes in people’s life-style habits serve as their own kind of affective barometer.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
16 Apr. 2025
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The new restrictions follow an NPR report that Trump had backed off from pursuing the H20 controls, in exchange for Nvidia investing in data centers.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2025
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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Andor star Diego Luna recently recalled that Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) director Gareth Edwards originally pitched him on the film by comparing his vision to Cuarón’s Y tu mamá también (2001), which starred a young Luna.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2025
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Others recalled being teased and taunted for not fitting the stereotype of what an audience for a band like Metallica is expected to look like.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Back down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/back%20down. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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