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backs down
| Main Entry: |
back down
|
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | back off |
| Synonyms: | abandon, accede, acquiesce, admit, back off, back out, back pedal, backtrack, balk, beg off, bow out, cancel, cave in, chicken out, chicken out, concede, cop out, demur, give ground, give in, give up, go back on, have no fight left, hold back, pull back, pull out, recant, recoil, renege, resign, retreat, submit, surrender, take back, wimp out, withdraw, withdraw from agreement or statement, yield |
| Antonyms: | go forward |
| Main Entry: | chicken out |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | back down |
| Synonyms: | avoid, back down, back out, back pedal, beg off, beg off, blow it off, bow out, cancel, chicken out, cop out, cop out, funk out, get cold feet, get cold feet, give up, give way, go back on, have no stomach for, make concessions, pull out, recant, renege, resign, scratch, shy from, surrender, throw in the towel, turn yellow, weasel out, welsh, wiggle out, wimp out, withdraw, worm out, worm out, yield |
| Main Entry: | cop out |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | abandon, quit |
| Synonyms: | back down, back off, back out, backpedal, desert, dodge, excuse, give the slip, have alibi, rationalize, renege, renounce, revoke, skip, use pretext, welsh, withdraw |
| Antonyms: | be ready, face, ready, take on |
| Main Entry: | fall |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | be overthrown by an enemy; surrender |
| Synonyms: | back down, be casualty, be destroyed, be killed, be lost, be taken, bend, capitulate, defer to, die, drop, eat dirt, fall to pieces, give in, give up, give way, go down, go under, lie down, obey, pass into enemy hands, perish, resign, slump, submit, succumb, yield |
| Antonyms: | advance, attain, overcome, overthrow, reach, win |
| Main Entry: | give in/give up |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | admit defeat |
| Synonyms: | abandon, back down, bail out, bow out, buckle under, capitulate, cave in, cease, cede, chicken out, collapse, comply, concede, cry uncle, cut out, desist, despair, drop, drop like a hot potato, fold, forswear, hand over, leave off, pull out, quit, relinquish, resign, stop, submit, surrender, take the oath, throw in the towel, waive, walk out on, wash one's hands of, yield |
| Antonyms: | fight, hold out, stand up to, withstand |
| Main Entry: | recant |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | take back something said |
| Synonyms: | abjure, abnegate, abrogate, annul, apostatize, back down, back off, back out, backtrack, call back, cancel, contradict, countermand, deny, dial back, disavow, disclaim, disown, eat one's words, forswear, go back on one's word, nullify, recall, renege, renounce, repeal, repudiate, rescind, retract, revoke, take back, unsay, void, weasel out, welsh, withdraw, worm out of |
| Notes: | recant means to formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, while retract means to take back or to draw back or in |
| Antonyms: | confirm, emphasize, recapitulate |
| Main Entry: | relinquish |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | give up, let go |
| Synonyms: | abandon, abdicate, abnegate, back down, cast, cast off, cede, cut loose, desert, discard, ditch*, drop, drop like hot potato, drop out, dump*, forbear, forgo, forsake, forswear, hand over, kick, kiss good-bye, lay aside, leave, opt out, quit, quit cold turkey, release, renounce, repudiate, resign, retire from, sacrifice, shed, stand down, surrender, swear off, take the oath, take the pledge, vacate, waive, withdraw, yield |
| Antonyms: | hold, keep, take |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | retract |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | take back; renege on |
| Synonyms: | abjure, back, back down, back off, back out of, call off, cancel, change one's mind, countermand, deny, disavow, disclaim, disown, draw in, eat one's words, eliminate, exclude, fall back, forget it, forswear, go back on, have change of heart, nig, pull back, pull in, recall, recant, recede, reel in, renege, renounce, repeal, repudiate, rescind, retreat, retrocede, retrograde, reverse, revoke, rule out, sheathe, suspend, take back, take in, unsay, welsh, withdraw |
| Notes: | recant means to formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, while retract means to take back or to draw back or in |
| Antonyms: | corroborate, emphasize, reaffirm, repeat |
| Main Entry: | retreat |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | pull back, go away |
| Synonyms: | abandon, avoid, back, back away, back down, back off, back out, backtrack, beat it, cave in, decamp, depart, disengage, draw back, ebb, elude, escape, evacuate, evade, fall back, fold, give ground, go, go along with, go back, hand over, hide, keep aloof, keep apart, lay down, leave, move back, opt out, pull out, quail, quit, recede, recoil, reel, regress, relinquish, resign, retire, retrocede, retrograde, reverse, run, seclude oneself, sequester, shrink, start back, turn tail, vacate, withdraw |
| Antonyms: | advance, face, forge, meet |
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
