Definition of back down - Reverso English Dictionary
Phrasal verb
1.
conflicttake a less aggressive position in a conflict
- He decided to back down to avoid a fight.
2.
commitmentwithdraw from a commitment or position
- She had to back down from the project.
Expressions with back down
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
return to practical thinking after dreaming or feeling overly important
After the holiday, she came back down to earth and focused.
stand firm in one's position
He will never back down in an argument.
Terms with back down included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
cause movement
cause to move quickly back and forth or up and down
physical motion
rapid movement back and forth or up and down
literal position
lying down with back on a surface
physical action
move something quickly back and forth or up and down
confrontation
standoff where neither side is willing to back down
conflict
back down from a conflict
movement
moving back and forth or up and down
crafts
fold something back or down
action
the act of leaning back or lying down
standoff
situation where neither side wants to back down
motion
moving back and forth or up and down
medical
major nerve extending from the lower back down the leg
appearance
toad known for its distinctive white or cream-colored stripe down its back
behavior
give up or back down very quickly when under pressure
motion
continuous movement up and down or back and forth
oscillating
moving up and down or back and forth repeatedly
conflict
confrontation where neither side wants to back down
Examples of back down in a sentence
The company had to back down after the public outcry. He refused to back down during the negotiation. They decided to back down after the protest.
View all translations of back down
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:reculer, abandonner, ...
- German:nachgeben, zurückziehen, ...
- Italian:ritirarsi, tirarsi indietro, ...
- Spanish:echarse atrás, retirarse, ...
- Portuguese:recuar, desistir, ...
- Chinese:退让, 退出, ...
- Japanese:引き下がる, 手を引く, ...
- Arabic:تَرَاجَعَ, تَخَلَّى, ...
- Hebrew:לְוַתֵּר, לַחֲזוֹר בּוֹ, ...
- Russian:отступать, отказываться, ...
- Ukrainian:відступати, здаватися, ...
- Hindi:पीछे हटना, वापस लेना, ...
icon to discover related terms: analogies, antonyms, common collocates, words with same roots, umbrella terms… Try with happening or hunch.
icon next to the first example to see two additional options and learn to use new vocabulary naturally.
icon to save words you want to revisit. You can also save a specific meaning by clicking on the