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Vocabulary : Phrasal Verbs : S : stand down

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stand down British and Australian English

Meaning: to resign or retire from a job or a position

Synonym: resign, step down

For example:

  • stand down The CEO decided to stand down when he turned seventy so that a younger person could take over.

  • stand down Many people were demanding that the Minister of Defence stand down after he admitted some prisoners had been tortured.

Variety: This is typically used in British and Australian English but may be used in other varieties of English too.

Quick Quiz:

If the team's manager stands down, the team's owners will have to
  1. help him get up
  2. pay him more money
  3. find another manager

Grammar explanation: separable and non-separable phrasal verbs

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