climb down phrasal verbphr v British EnglishBrE ADMITto admit that you were wrong, especially after being certain that you were right 认错;退让,让步 → climb-downclimb down• a humiliating climbdown by the government over their economic policies• Neither side in the dispute has been willing to climb down.• European Court decisions have forced several employers to climb down and change their policy on women's pay.
→ climb down at climb1(2)