stand-down

stand-down — phrasal verb

  • stand-downbase form
  • stand-downs3rd person singular
  • stand-downing-ing form
  • stand-downedpast simple

1. to leave an official job or a position of authority, especially so that someone

1.phrasal verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to leave an official job or a position of authority, especially so that someone else can take over

Example

After fifteen years as managing director, Mrs. Chen stood down from the board.

stand down + from + noun phrase (organisational role)

The party leader refused to stand down despite pressure from her own members.

Common collocations
  • stand down from the board
  • stand down as director
  • refuse to stand down
  • agree to stand down
  • stand down from the committee
Synonyms
  • resign

    more general and more common; 'resign' can be from any job, while 'stand down' often implies a public or high-profile role

  • step down

    nearly identical in meaning and register; slightly less formal

  • quit

    less formal; can sound abrupt or emotional, while 'stand down' is more measured

Antonyms
  • take office

    to begin a job or position, the opposite of leaving one

  • stay on

    to remain in a position instead of leaving

Grammar Patterns

stand down + from + job/role

stand down + as + position

Usage Note

Commonly used with 'from' (stand down from a post) or 'as' (stand down as chair). Frequently appears in news reports about political resignations.

Common Mistakes

He stood down his job.
He stood down from his job.
'stand down' is intransitive; you need a preposition before the object.

stand-down — noun

stand-down — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: phrasal verb/1

Stand down and step down are the closest pair — both mean to leave a position of authority, often under pressure or to let someone else take over. Resign is the most general and formal term; you can resign from any job, not just a high-profile role. Quit is less formal and can sound abrupt or emotional ('She quit her job because she hated the boss'). Withdraw is broader — it covers leaving competitions, applications, or statements, not just jobs. Example: 'The CEO stood down after the scandal (public pressure, formal announcement), but she did not resign from the company entirely; she simply withdrew from daily management.'

resign ↗step down ↗quit ↗withdraw ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • stand down from
  • stand down as
  • be stood down

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

The phrase 'stand down' combines 'stand' (from Old English 'standan', to be upright on one's feet) with 'down' (from Old English 'dūne', short for 'of dūne' meaning 'off the hill'). The original military meaning emerged in the early 1900s: soldiers who were 'stood down' stepped off their raised post or duty position. By the mid-20th century, the term extended to civilian contexts — politicians 'standing down' from office and workers finishing shifts. The hyphenated noun form 'stand-down' appeared as a back-formation from the phrasal verb.