Word.ws English Dictionary

backs down

backs down is the third-person singular simple present indicative of back down.

Meaning of back down

Verb

back down (third-person singular simple present backs down, present participle backing down, simple past and past participle backed down)

  1. (idiomatic, intransitive) To 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. (idiomatic, transitive) To 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
  3. (idiomatic) To withdraw from a commitment or position; back out.

Questions about backs down

What is backs down the third-person singular simple present indicative of?
Backs down is the third-person singular simple present indicative of back down.

Words near backs down in the dictionary

  1. backrush
  2. backrushes
  3. backs
  4. backs against the wall
  5. backs away
  6. backs down
  7. backs in
  8. backs into
  9. backs off
  10. backs on to
  11. backs one out

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: backs down (page history and authors); back down (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Cite this entry: “backs down.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/backs_down. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.