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Noun: climb-down  'klIm,dawn
  1. A retraction of a previously held position
    "The company's climb-down on the controversial policy was seen as a victory for consumers";
    - withdrawal, backdown
Verb: climb down  klIm dawn
  1. Descend by climbing
    "They climbed down the ladder carefully"
     
  2. [informal] Abandon or withdraw from a position or stance, especially admitting one was wrong
    "After seeing the evidence, he was forced to climb down from his earlier claims"

Derived forms: climbing down, climbed down, climbs down, climb-downs

Type of: abjuration, recantation, retraction