stand down phrasal verb British English ( see also ↑ stand )
1 . to agree to leave your position or to stop trying to be elected, so that someone else can have a chance SYN step down American English
stand down as
He was obliged to stand down as a parliamentary candidate.
2 . to leave the ↑ witness box in a court of law
3 . stand (somebody) down if a soldier stands down or is stood down, he stops working for the day