Definition of "stand-down" [stand-down]

• A relaxation from a state of readiness or alert. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "For now, both sides are in a court-ordered “stand-down,” the civil equivalent of a temporary cease-fire, but hostility seethes just beneath the surface, and the comprehensive settlement Wisan has sought since he arrived still looks elusive."
• ""Our preference was to extend the current legal stand-down," said Chris Kroeger, senior vice president of Sabre Travel Network."
• "Renault is prepared to exonerate the three managers fired for alleged corporate espionage in what would be a major stand-down that could presage a change in the French auto maker's senior management."