backing down
Abandoning your position
Backing down is retreating from a position, claim, or confrontation—yielding to pressure or opposition rather than holding firm.
The phrase implies that standing your ground was an option: The company backed down after public outcry.
Someone who backs down may be seen as sensible or as weak, depending on context.
- u-turn180-degree driving reversal
- white flagSignal of capitulation
- capitulationComplete yielding to demands
- throwing in the towelAccepting defeat, stopping effort
- yieldingBending under pressure
retreat · beating a retreat · climbdown · withdrawal · giving ground · folding · concede · eating crow · crying uncle · kowtowing · surrender · submit · submission · cowardice · losing nerve · giving in · acquiescence · caving
- cowardicecoward, cowardly, craven, gutless, spineless
- people-pleasing behaviorsflattery, accommodating, self-sacrifice, conflict avoidance, peacekeeping
- submissionsubmission hold, submitting, surrendering, capitulation, yielding
- conflict responsesavoidance, confrontation, compromise, accommodation, aggression
- giving upgive up, giving up, quit, quitting, surrender
- leavingdeparture, quit, walking away, withdrawing, bail
backing downescalating
Increasing by degrees
doubling down · ramping up · intensifying · upping the ante · raising the stakes
backing downpersevering
Maintaining effort despite difficulty
persisting · insisting · standing pat · standing your ground · holding out
backing downholding ground
Maintaining position under pressure
standing one's ground · standing up · pushing back · confronting · digging in
back, down, backward, backing, background, backup, setback, backed, feedback