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stand-down

stand-down

4 6.3
A temporary pause in military activity to let troops rest and stop being on alert
  • noun
  • /ˈstændˌdaʊn/
  • Jargon
translation icon : suspensión
  • Due to the ongoing threat, the base was placed on a stand-down to ensure everyone's safety.
  • stand-down order

Examples

  • Three such calls for help were made, denied, and a stand down was given from the CIA chain of command, Obama being the top of that chain.

    Blog text (9)
  • After the intense operation, the commander called for a stand-down to allow everyone to recover.

  • We know that a "stand-down" order was given, not once, but twice.

    Blog text (9)
  • So, was there in fact a stand-down order?

    Blog text (33)
  • All units, stand down.

  • Our old NEST teams are on stand-down holding at Grissom Air Force Base.

  • Whether it's veterans who served decades ago, or current members of the military serving as volunteers, the stand down seems to give those who served their country a way to not only help each other and share stories, but also a way to reinvigorate their love for their line of work.

    Blog text (23)
  • The stand-down of the Sunni insurgency under the Sons of Iraq program has been a critical element in the reduction of violence.

    Academic text (2008)
  • With her section on a twelve-hour stand-down, Helen drove straight to Peter's townhouse.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • The military announced a stand-down to give troops a chance to rest after weeks of training.

Synonyms

shutdown
vsstand-down
136 4.1

A time when a business, system, or service stops working

is limited to temporary operational pause for people to rest or stop alertness
standdown
vsstand-down
  • Jargon
7.2

A short time when military or emergency activity stops so people can rest and get supplies

has identical meaning but written with a hyphen

How Alert

high alert
25 3.6
alert
137 3.5
standby
3.7
stand-down
  • Jargon
4 6.3
off
8 1.0

Surface Forms

stand-down singular
stand-downs plural

Morphology

stand-down = stand (opaque) = down + stand

Although the form is built from stand + down, the military sense 'temporary suspension of activity' is a specialized phrasal meaning that is not directly predictable from the literal components. [Postprocessing: moved 'down' from base_words to prefix]

Etymology

Stand-down comes from the simple order stand + down, a military command telling soldiers to stop being on alert. It literally means 'lower your readiness' or 'go off duty', so a stand-down is a short pause that lets people rest and stop guarding or fighting.