• to hold one's ground, to hold one's own, to stand fast
• recess, recoiling, shrink
• to balk, to baulk, to set back
• encumbrance, retardation, setback
• to back out, to crawfish
• to back down, to beat a retreat, to buckle up, to eat crow, to fall back, to flinch, to get cold feet, to give in, to lower one's flag, to recoil, to shrink, shrank, shrunk, to stick at, to strike one's flag, to take the back track