To stand down means to withdraw from a position of readiness or to stop being aggressive or confrontational. When police officers stand down after a tense situation, they lower their weapons and relax their alert posture because the danger has passed. When someone in an argument is told to stand down, they're being asked to back off and stop being confrontational.

In the military, soldiers who stand down move from active duty to a less ready state. A general might order troops to stand down after a crisis ends, meaning they can leave their battle stations and rest.

In everyday situations, you might hear it when tensions rise. If two students are about to fight and a teacher says “Stand down,” the teacher is telling them to step back and calm down. A ship's captain might order the crew to stand down from emergency stations once a storm passes.

When you stand down, you're deliberately choosing to de-escalate, moving from tension to calm, from conflict to peace.