as in backing 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 backing down
Larsen, meanwhile, isn’t backing down.
—
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026
The Senators aren’t backing down in the face of playing Carolina, seeking to build off losing to Toronto in six games in the first round last year.
—John Wawrow, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2026
Trump has pushed back on the notion of backing down, framing his brinkmanship as a savvy negotiating tactic.
—Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2026
Tehran shows no signs of backing down.
—Michael Loria, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
Iran, meanwhile, gave no signs of backing down.
—David Rising, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
But Iran showed no signs of backing down.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 20 Mar. 2026
But Iran showed no signs of backing down.
—Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
It's been all A&M tonight, but Saint Mary's isn't backing down.
—Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 19 Mar. 2026
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026
The Senators aren’t backing down in the face of playing Carolina, seeking to build off losing to Toronto in six games in the first round last year.
—John Wawrow, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2026
Trump has pushed back on the notion of backing down, framing his brinkmanship as a savvy negotiating tactic.
—Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2026
Tehran shows no signs of backing down.
—Michael Loria, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
Iran, meanwhile, gave no signs of backing down.
—David Rising, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
But Iran showed no signs of backing down.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 20 Mar. 2026
But Iran showed no signs of backing down.
—Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
It's been all A&M tonight, but Saint Mary's isn't backing down.
—Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 19 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backing down
Verb
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After backing out of an agreement to trade first-round picks in 2026 and 2027 for Crosby, DeCosta was decried as dishonorable, dirty and duplicitous, especially after Baltimore signed another accomplished edge rusher, Trey Hendrickson, to a free-agent deal the following day.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Investigators say Horner accidentally struck the child with his delivery truck while backing out of the driveway.—
Amelia Mugavero,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Some of their goals from throw-ins, with oppositions backing off in anticipation and possibly fear of one of Pinnock’s long throws, have also come from quick restarts and delivering quality crosses into the box.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
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Instead of backing off of their support for the proposal, its Republican supporters are digging in — a sign of how intractable the fight over immigration policy is, even among Trump-supporting Republicans.—
Nicholas Wu,
semafor.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backing down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backing%20down. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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