back down — stop arguing or opposing
phrasal verbB2IELTS 6+neutralcommon
To stop insisting on your opinion or position, especially after realizing you cannot win or are wrong.
Say it like a native
Textbook He declined to relinquish his position in the dispute.
Native He refused to back down.
'Relinquish his position' is formal; 'back down' is the everyday phrasal verb.
Pattern: back down (on/from something)
In use
- After a long discussion, he finally backed down and agreed to our plan.communication
- In my opinion, it's important to know when to back down in a disagreement, especially if it helps maintain a good relationship.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ He backed down his demand.
✓ He backed down on his demand. / He backed down.
'Back down' is intransitive; you 'back down ON something', not 'back down something'.
Common collocations
back down + over/on— over, on, refuse to, won't
Don't confuse it
'Back down' is about giving up your position, while 'stand your ground' means refusing to change your mind.