an act of retreating from a previously asserted position
Opposition pressure forced an embarrassing government backdown.
Their release represents a major backdown by the immigration minister.
the Treasury's backdown on tax breaks for foreign-owned businesses
The minister was forced into a humiliating backdown on her promise to abolish tolls.
backdown in American English
(ˈbækˌdaun)
noun
a withdrawal from a previously held position, esp. in the face of superior power or upon further consideration
Word origin
[1860–65, Amer.; n. use of v. phrase back down]This word is first recorded in the period 1860–65. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: metric system, monism, pop-up, prep, trade name
Examples of 'backdown' in a sentence
backdown
The prince struck, not with a crackdown but a backdown.