climb up, climb down — Climb down, as purists sometimes point out, is a patent contradiction. But there you are. Idiom has embraced it, as it has many other patent absurdities, and there is no gainsaying it now. Climb up, in contrast, is always redundant when climb… … Dictionary of troublesome word
climb-down — climb downs also climbdown N COUNT A climb down in an argument or dispute is the act of admitting that you are wrong or of changing your intentions or demands. This week s climb down by the Department of Transport is thought to be the first time… … English dictionary
climb-down — n. 1. a retraction of a previously held position. Syn: withdrawal, backdown. [WordNet 1.5] {Grand climacteric} or {Great climacteric}, the sixty third year of human life. [1913 Webster] I should hardly yield my rigid fibers to be regenerated by… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
climb-down — n [C usually singular] BrE an occasion when you admit that you were wrong ▪ a humiliating climb down by the government … Dictionary of contemporary English
climb down (over something) — ˌclimb ˈdown (over sth) derived to admit that you have made a mistake or that you were wrong • The government was forced to climb down last night over its handling of pensions. Main entry: ↑climbderived … Useful english dictionary
climb|down — «KLYM DOWN», noun. the abandonment of a high position taken on some point or question when it has been found untenable or unacceptable … Useful english dictionary
climb down — index alight Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
climb-down — climb ,down noun count BRITISH a change of attitude in which someone admits they were wrong … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
climb down — verb come down (Freq. 3) the birds alighted • Syn: ↑alight • Hypernyms: ↑descend, ↑fall, ↑go down, ↑come down • … Useful english dictionary
climb down — v. 1) (D; intr.) to climb down from (to climb down from a tree) 2) (BE) (D; intr.) ( to retreat ) to climb down from (to climb down from an untenable position) * * * [ klaɪm daʊn] (D; intr.) to climb down from (to climb down from a tree) (BE) (D; … Combinatory dictionary
