stand-down
1 of 2noun
ˈstan(d)-ˌdau̇n 
: a relaxation of status of a military unit or force from an alert or operational posture
stand down
2 of 2verb
stood down; standing down; stands down
intransitive verb
1
: to leave the witness stand
2
chiefly British
a
: to go off duty
b
: to withdraw from a contest, a position of leadership, or a state of alert or readiness
transitive verb
: to remove from active duty
In December of 1944, it was judged safe to stand down the Home Guard … after four and a half years of guarding Britain against invasion.
Anthony Bailey
Anthony Bailey
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Aug. 2022 Assembly members had also expected to hear from the administration at Wednesday’s meeting regarding any plans to stand down that operation. Emily Goodykoontz, Anchorage Daily News, 18 Aug. 2022 Along with the other women in her unit, Ms. Polyakova had been told to stand down on the third day of the war, as the shelling in Mariupol intensified. New York Times, 20 July 2022 If the incident commander thought the gunman was barricaded in a room with no survivors, the decision to stand down makes sense, Kenney said. Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 27 May 2022 But even if Starliner were flying and proven today, there would be no cause to stand down flights of Dragon, the NASA officials said. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 4 Feb. 2022 That call was part of a full-court press by the Biden administration to urge Russia to stand down from what U.S. officials say could be an imminent attack. Conor Finnegan, ABC News, 12 Feb. 2022 After securing his position, Gerace worked to stand down the city’s mass care homeless shelter at the Sullivan Arena, which the city closed at the end of June, along with most of its other pandemic-era homelessness responses. Emily Goodykoontz, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Aug. 2022 Prosecutors disagreed, arguing that the letters demonstrated that Bannon had willfully ignored Congress' demands after unsuccessfully trying to get the committee to stand down. Robert Legare, CBS News, 19 July 2022 See More
Verb
Some have criticized the school’s decision to defer and stand down, citing concerns that inaction may have left others vulnerable. San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Aug. 2022 Assembly members had also expected to hear from the administration at Wednesday’s meeting regarding any plans to stand down that operation. Emily Goodykoontz, Anchorage Daily News, 18 Aug. 2022 Along with the other women in her unit, Ms. Polyakova had been told to stand down on the third day of the war, as the shelling in Mariupol intensified. New York Times, 20 July 2022 If the incident commander thought the gunman was barricaded in a room with no survivors, the decision to stand down makes sense, Kenney said. Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 27 May 2022 But even if Starliner were flying and proven today, there would be no cause to stand down flights of Dragon, the NASA officials said. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 4 Feb. 2022 That call was part of a full-court press by the Biden administration to urge Russia to stand down from what U.S. officials say could be an imminent attack. Conor Finnegan, ABC News, 12 Feb. 2022 After securing his position, Gerace worked to stand down the city’s mass care homeless shelter at the Sullivan Arena, which the city closed at the end of June, along with most of its other pandemic-era homelessness responses. Emily Goodykoontz, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Aug. 2022 Prosecutors disagreed, arguing that the letters demonstrated that Bannon had willfully ignored Congress' demands after unsuccessfully trying to get the committee to stand down. Robert Legare, CBS News, 19 July 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
Noun
circa 1919, in the meaning defined above
Verb
1681, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1