What does "stand down" mean?

To wait; to stop pursuing, stop fighting, or relax from a heightened readiness posture.

What is a synonym for "stand down"?

Common synonyms include: abandon, abdicate, abeyance, armistice, back out, be pensioned.

verb

verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Verb

1
To wait; to stop pursuing, stop fighting, or relax from a heightened readiness posture. idiomatic
"They ordered the troops to stand down for the moment."
2
To withdraw or retire from a position or from a team. ambitransitive
"The criminal case was launched after the aviation giant’s subsidiary stood down a trained health and safety representative hours after he directed others to cease work."

"They ordered the troops to stand down for the moment."