Meanings
present singular third person backs down · participle present backing down · participle past backed down · past backed down
- idiomaticintransitiveTo take a less aggressive position in a conflict than one previously had, or has planned to have.
I was about to sue them, but I had to back down.
2 more examples
The boys had planned to fight during recess, but backed down after the principal found out.
By the time politicians in several cities backed down on Tuesday and announced that they would cut or consider reducing fares, the demonstrations had already morphed into a more sweeping social protest, with marchers waving banners carrying slogans like “The people have awakened.”
2013 June 18, Simon Romero, “Protests Widen as Brazilians Chide Leaders”, in New York Times, retrieved 21 Jun 2013 - idiomatictransitiveTo make (someone) take a less aggressive position.
I have backed down so many men by confronting them. I'm willing to fight back. If you have that rage in your heart and you are willing to kill, that radiates.
1980 February 9, Chris Guilfoy, anonymous quotee, “Town Meeting Talks About The Issue of Violence”, in Gay Community News, volume 7, number 28, page 1 - idiomaticTo withdraw from a commitment or position; back out.
Synonyms & antonyms
verbremove oneself from an obligation
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Catalan fer-se enrere, fer marxa enrere
- fer-se enrereto take less aggressive position
- fer marxa enrereto take less aggressive position
Chinese Mandarin 做出讓步 /做出让步
- 做出讓步 /做出让步 (zuòchū ràngbù)to take less aggressive position
Finnish perääntyä
- perääntyäto take less aggressive position
French baisser d'un ton
- baisser d'un tonto take less aggressive position
German nachgeben, eine Rückzieher machen
- nachgebento take less aggressive position
- eine Rückzieher machento take less aggressive position
- zurückrudernto take less aggressive position
Italian cedere
- cedereto take less aggressive position
Polish dawać za wygraną, dać za wygraną
- dawać za wygranąto take less aggressive position
- dać za wygranąto take less aggressive position
- wycofywać sięto take less aggressive position
- wycofać sięto take less aggressive position
- ustępowaćto take less aggressive position
- ustąpićto take less aggressive position
Portuguese recuar, voltar atrás
- recuarto take less aggressive position
- voltar atrásto take less aggressive position
Romanian ceda
- cedato take less aggressive position
Russian пойти́ на усту́пки, пойти́ на попя́тный
- пойти́ на усту́пки (pojtí na ustúpki)to take less aggressive position
- пойти́ на попя́тный (pojtí na popjátnyj)to take less aggressive position
- дать за́дний ход (datʹ zádnij xod)to take less aggressive position
- спасовать (spasovatʹ)to take less aggressive position
Spanish recular, echarse atrás
- recularto take less aggressive position
- echarse atrásto take less aggressive position
Swedish ge med, ge vika
- ge medto take less aggressive position
- ge vikato take less aggressive position
Cite this entry
back down. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/back%20down
“back down.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/back%20down. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “back down,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/back%20down.
Source: back down on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.