1 B2 neutral
Of a plant: to have the above-ground parts die at the end of the growing season while the root system survives.
"Don't pull out the hostas — they die back every winter and come up again in spring."
die back
B2 neutral intransitive
Of a plant: to have its stems and leaves die off while the roots remain alive, typically in winter.
In plain English
When a plant's top parts die in winter but the roots stay alive underground so it can grow again.
What does "die back" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 neutral
Of a plant or tree: to have stems or branches die progressively from the tip inward, often due to disease or frost damage.
"The rose bushes started dying back from the tips after the late frost."
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To die in a backward direction — the plant retreats downward to its roots.
Actually means
When a plant's top parts die in winter but the roots stay alive underground so it can grow again.
Usage tip
Almost exclusively used in horticulture and botany. Refers to the normal seasonal process in herbaceous perennials. Also used occasionally for any organism retreating or shrinking back. The related noun 'dieback' describes disease-related plant death.
Words that pair with "die back"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
plant perennial stem foliage shrub frost
How to conjugate "die back"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
die back
I/you/we/they
3rd person
dies back
he/she/it
Past simple
died back
yesterday
Past participle
died back
have + pp
-ing form
diing back
continuous
Hear "die back" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "die back" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.