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
Your body then releases a rush of insulin to bring those sugar levels back down.
—
Caroline Tien, SELF, 6 Aug. 2025
After that, the device will back down, allowing the circuits to cool.
—IEEE Spectrum, 4 Aug. 2025
The rest of the day was spent feasting on Dungeness crab, taking a scenic ride up a mountain in a cable car for a hike to a hidden lake, and—for many passengers—screaming back down the mountain on a zipline.
—Scott Laird, Travel + Leisure, 3 Aug. 2025
Feel your glutes contract at the top, and slowly lower your knee back down with control.
—Jakob Roze, Health, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for back down
Caroline Tien, SELF, 6 Aug. 2025
After that, the device will back down, allowing the circuits to cool.
—IEEE Spectrum, 4 Aug. 2025
The rest of the day was spent feasting on Dungeness crab, taking a scenic ride up a mountain in a cable car for a hike to a hidden lake, and—for many passengers—screaming back down the mountain on a zipline.
—Scott Laird, Travel + Leisure, 3 Aug. 2025
Feel your glutes contract at the top, and slowly lower your knee back down with control.
—Jakob Roze, Health, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for back down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back down
Verb
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He is expected to jet back out to Washington, D.C. late Friday night.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
15 Aug. 2025
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Bob came out, blinking his eyes hard and closing his big fists tight, splaying his fingers back out in a pink baby starfish.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Those ahead of him backed off, reluctant to engage.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
16 Aug. 2025
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For the good of all, Trump ought to back off and tend to the expansive business that is his responsibility under the Constitution.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
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On Thursday, there were 652 officers on the force, with nearly 100 cops out on some kind of administrative or medical leave.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
8 Aug. 2025
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But with that brief wave of hope came new footage on Twitter every night of the NYPD acting like bad cops out of a Harvey Keitel flick: cops harassing peaceful crowds, cops kettling activists, cops literally driving a car into a crowd of protestors.—
Maris Kreizman,
Rolling Stone,
24 June 2025
Verb
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The actor recalled an argument between the two that escalated.—
Angela Andaloro,
People.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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While recently appearing on SiriusXM’s Jeff Lewis Live, the 39-year-old That’s So Raven star recalled her ex-boyfriend not only getting another woman pregnant during their relationship, but audaciously asking her to be the baby’s Godmother.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Back down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/back%20down. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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