The word "climbdown" refers to when someone admits they were wrong or changes their mind about something after strongly defending their initial position.
Labour's top Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer has set about standing up for those opposed to hard Brexit - and even forced an embarrassing climbdown by Iain Duncan Smith. (totalpolitics.com)
This spring David Cameron, Nick Clegg and health secretary Andrew Lansley were forced into a humiliating climbdown on large parts of the controversial reforms. (politics.co.uk)
«This is a humiliating climbdown from Michael Gove. (politics.co.uk)