to climb down
3
6.2
- phrasal verb
- /klaɪm daʊn/
- Informal
:
dar marcha atrás
- War hero Dwight Eisenhower is the sole U.S. president since 1948 who has succeeded in getting Israel to climb down.
Examples
-
Under pressure from her colleagues, she decided to climb down on her stance about the project timeline.
-
Eleanor's voice was pinched and haughty; it must have cost her a lot to climb down, but it meant she was forgiven.
Fiction book (1995) -
So either we climb down or we go back.
-
We should climb down, man.
-
Should we climb down?
-
The negotiations are tense, but he agreed to climb down from his earlier demands to reach a compromise.
-
After realizing the proposal was not feasible, the team had to climb down and revise their plan.
Synonyms
107
3.7
To stop insisting because others oppose you
103
3.7
To take back something you said before, especially in public
44
8.6
Say publicly that you no longer believe something you said before
41
6.0
To take back a statement or opinion in public
10
6.5
To try to change a previous statement or position to avoid criticism
1
7.9
To change an earlier decision or statement because of pressure
To suddenly change a public decision or promise
Take back a promise or support you gave
Antonyms
How Firm
147
4.4
50
3.1
- Informal
356
2.8
- Informal
3
6.2
107
3.7
- Formal
41
6.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
climb + down
The sense 'to retract or withdraw a position' is a metaphorical extension of the literal meaning of 'climb' + 'down' (physically moving downward/retreating). A B1 learner who knows the constituents can often infer a general notion of retreat or stepping back, but the specific pragmatic nuance of conceding a prior statement under pressure is not fully predictable without exposure, so the relation is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Climb down: The verb climb down comes from the picture of a person who must climb down from a high place to show they give up their spot or view. That's why it now means 'to take back' or 'withdraw' something you said.