stand-down
/ˈstan(d)-ˌdau̇n/ (ame, mw)
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
to leave an official job or a position of authority, especially so that someone else can take over
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.
Dr. Okafor decided to stand down as head of the hospital's emergency department.
Fatima stood down from the committee after a disagreement about funding.
The mayor announced she would stand down at the end of her term in office.
- take office
to begin a job or position, the opposite of leaving one
- stay on
to remain in a position instead of leaving
文法句型
stand down + from + job/role
stand down + as + position
用法筆記
Commonly used with 'from' (stand down from a post) or 'as' (stand down as chair). Frequently appears in news reports about political resignations.
常見錯誤
stand-down — noun
1. a short period during which soldiers or military units stop all combat or prepar
a short period during which soldiers or military units stop all combat or preparation for combat and take time to rest or repair equipment
The general ordered a two-day stand-down so the troops could rest and eat warm meals.
order + a + stand-down
After six weeks of constant patrols, the base was given a stand-down for maintenance work.
give + a + stand-down (passive)
During the stand-down, soldiers repaired their vehicles and wrote letters home to their families.
The commander called a safety stand-down after two soldiers were injured in an accident.
- rest period
broader and less formal; not limited to military contexts
- break
much more general; lacks the military or organisational tone of 'stand-down'
- halt
emphasises the stopping of activity more than the rest that follows
- alert
a state of readiness for action or combat, opposite of a relaxation of readiness
文法句型
a + stand-down
call a stand-down
order a stand-down
用法筆記
Typically preceded by 'a' or 'the'. Often used with verbs like 'order', 'call', 'declare', or 'give'. Can be modified by a purpose (safety stand-down, maintenance stand-down).
常見錯誤
stand-down — verb
- stand-downpresent simple I / you / we / they
- stand-downs3rd person singular
- stand-downing-ing form
- stand-downedpast simple
1. to step away from the raised chair in a courtroom after giving your spoken evide
to step away from the raised chair in a courtroom after giving your spoken evidence during a trial
After answering the last question from the defence lawyer, the witness stood down.
stand down after giving evidence
The judge nodded and told Mr. Hassan he could stand down and return to his seat.
told + [person] + could stand down
Once the cross-examination finished, Beatrice was allowed to stand down from the witness box.
The court clerk directed the nervous woman to stand down after she gave her testimony.
- step down
used in legal contexts similarly, though less common; more general than this narrow courtroom sense
- leave the stand
a descriptive phrase rather than a direct synonym
文法句型
stand down + from + the witness stand
用法筆記
Almost exclusively used in legal contexts. The 'witness stand' is called 'witness box' in British English. This sense is chiefly British legal terminology and is rare in everyday speech.
常見錯誤
2. to remove yourself from a competition, a leadership role, or a state of being re
to remove yourself from a competition, a leadership role, or a state of being ready for action — for example, pulling out of an election race or ending an alert
Kenji stood down from the election race after a family health emergency came up.
stand down + from + contest (election)
The general ordered the troops to stand down when the storm passed without damage.
stand down from alert/readiness
Linnea decided to stand down as chairperson and let a younger member take the role.
The marathon runner stood down from the race after twisting his ankle during warm-up.
Amara stood down from the project leadership when her company was sold to a competitor.
- enter
to join a contest or take on a role
- go on alert
to prepare for possible action, the opposite of ending a state of readiness
文法句型
stand down + from + contest/position/alert
用法筆記
Overlaps with the phrasal verb sense (resign position) but is broader — covers contests, alerts, and readiness states, not just jobs. Distinguish from sense 'LEAVE WITNESS STAND' (courtroom only) and 'OFF DUTY' (shift work).
常見錯誤
3. to finish your period of work and leave your post, or to be told by a person in
to finish your period of work and leave your post, or to be told by a person in charge that you can stop working for the day or for a particular task
The night-shift nurses stood down when the morning team arrived at the hospital.
intransitive: stand down at shift change
The fire chief stood the crew down after the blaze was fully brought under control.
transitive: stand [someone] down
Theo stood down from his security post at midnight and walked home in the rain.
All non-essential staff were stood down for the afternoon while repairs took place.
The police commander stood down the search team when no trace of the missing hiker was found by sunset.
- go off duty
equivalent in meaning but slightly more explicit; common in shift-work contexts
- finish work
more general; doesn't carry the organisational or hierarchical tone
- clock out
informal; focuses on the act of recording your work hours
- come on duty
to start a shift or work period
- report for duty
to arrive at work ready to begin
文法句型
stand down (intransitive)
be stood down (passive)
stand someone down (transitive)
用法筆記
This is the only sense that can be used transitively (stand someone down). The passive form (was stood down) is very common, especially in emergency service and military contexts. Distinguish from 'WITHDRAW FROM CONTEST' which is always intransitive.