climb-down

[ klahym-doun ]

/ ˈklaɪmˌdaʊn /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR climb-down ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a retreat, as from an indefensible opinion or position.

Origin of climb-down

First recorded in 1885–90; noun use of verb phrase climb down

Words nearby climb-down

climb, climb down, climb indicator, climb on the bandwagon, climb the walls, climb-down, climber, climbing bittersweet, climbing fern, climbing fish, climbing frame

Definition for climb down (2 of 2)

climb

[ klahym ]

/ klaɪm /

verb (used without object)

to go up or ascend, especially by using the hands and feet or feet only: to climb up a ladder.

to rise slowly by or as if by continued effort: The car laboriously climbed to the top of the mountain.

to ascend or rise: The plane climbed rapidly and we were soon at 35,000 feet. Temperatures climbed into the 80s yesterday.

to slope upward: The road climbs steeply up to the house.

to ascend by twining or by means of tendrils, adhesive tissues, etc., as a plant: The ivy climbed to the roof.

to proceed or move by using the hands and feet, especially on an elevated place; crawl: to climb along a branch; to climb around on the roof.

to ascend in prominence, fortune, etc.: From lowly beginnings he climbed to the highest office in the land.

verb (used with object)

to ascend, go up, or get to the top of, especially by the use of the hands and feet or feet alone or by continuous or strenuous effort: to climb a rope; to climb the stairs; to climb a mountain.

to go to the top of and over: The prisoners climbed the wall and escaped.

noun

a climbing; an ascent by climbing: It was a long climb to the top of the hill.

a place to be climbed: That peak is quite a climb.

Verb Phrases

climb down,

to descend, especially by using both hands and feet.
to retreat, as from an indefensible opinion or position: He was forced to climb down from his untenable position.

climb the walls. wall(def 15).

Origin of climb

before 1000; Middle English climben, Old English climban; cognate with Dutch, German klimmen; akin to clamber

ANTONYMS FOR climb

1, 8 descend.

10 descent.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR climb ON THESAURUS.COM

synonym study for climb

8. Climb, ascend, mount, scale imply a moving upward. To climb is to make one's way upward, often with effort: to climb a mountain. Ascend, in its literal meaning (“to go up”), is general, but it now usually suggests a gradual or stately movement, with or without effort, often to a considerable degree of altitude: to ascend the heights; to ascend the Himalayas. Mount may be interchangeable with ascend, but also suggests climbing on top of or astride of: to mount a platform, a horse. Scale, a more literary word, implies difficult or hazardous climbing up or over something: to scale a summit.

OTHER WORDS FROM climb

climb·a·ble, adjective half-climb·ing, adjective non·climb·a·ble, adjective non·climb·ing, adjective

re·climb, verb (used with object), re·climbed, re·climb·ing. un·climb·a·ble, adjective un·climbed, adjective un·climb·ing, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH climb

climb clime

British Dictionary definitions for climb down (1 of 2)

climb down

verb (intr, adverb)

to descend

(often foll by from) to retreat (from an opinion, position, etc)

noun climb-down

a retreat from an opinion, etc

British Dictionary definitions for climb down (2 of 2)

climb

/ (klaɪm) /

verb (mainly intr)

(also tr often foll by up) to go up or ascend (stairs, a mountain, etc)

(often foll by along) to progress with difficulty to climb along a ledge

to rise to a higher point or intensity the temperature climbed

to incline or slope upwards the road began to climb

to ascend in social position

(of plants) to grow upwards by twining, using tendrils or suckers, etc

informal (foll by into) to put (on) or get (into)

to be a climber or mountaineer

noun

the act or an instance of climbing

a place or thing to be climbed, esp a route in mountaineering

Other words from climb

Related adjective: scansorial

Derived forms of climb

climbable, adjective

Word Origin for climb

Old English climban; related to Old Norse klembra to squeeze, Old High German climban to clamber

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

climb-down

noun

Origin of climb-down

Words nearby climb-down

Definition for climb down (2 of 2)

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

noun

Verb Phrases

Origin of climb

ANTONYMS FOR climb

synonym study for climb

OTHER WORDS FROM climb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH climb

British Dictionary definitions for climb down (1 of 2)

verb (intr, adverb)

noun climb-down

British Dictionary definitions for climb down (2 of 2)

verb (mainly intr)

noun

Other words from climb

Derived forms of climb

Word Origin for climb

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

climb-down

noun

Origin of climb-down

Words nearby climb-down

Definition for climb down (2 of 2)

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

noun

Verb Phrases

Origin of climb

ANTONYMS FOR climb

synonym study for climb

OTHER WORDS FROM climb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH climb

Words related to climb down

British Dictionary definitions for climb down (1 of 2)

verb (intr, adverb)

noun climb-down

British Dictionary definitions for climb down (2 of 2)

verb (mainly intr)

noun

Other words from climb

Derived forms of climb

Word Origin for climb