back down
Britishverb
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(intr, adverb) to withdraw an earlier claim
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(tr) rowing to cause (a boat) to move backwards by pushing rather than pulling on the oars
noun
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Reverse one's upward course, descend. For example, When she saw the wasps' nest on the roof, she hastily backed down the ladder . This literal usage usually refers to something one has climbed, such as a ladder or mountain. [Mid-1800s]
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Also, back off . Retreat or yield. For example, As the watchdog began to snarl the letter carrier backed off , or You have a good point; now don't back down when you present it to the board . [First half of 1900s] Also see back away , def. 2.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In 2013, the last Masters for Bennett, he drove Arnold Palmer back to the airport and they both got teary rolling back down Magnolia Lane and out of the club.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026
About 25 minutes before the crew splashed back down on our oasis, Artemis II Cmdr.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
If the consumer proves sufficiently resilient or gas prices move back down, you’ll get some spending lift.
From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026
Now, it is possible to see a pathway back down to $60 to $70 a barrel, contained inflation, lower petrol prices and calmer interest rates.
From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026
As I come back down the ramp, I notice that Boat Boy is looking at Dara— my beautiful cousin, voted both Miss Nuchalawoyya and Miss World Eskimo-Indian Olympics this year.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
