backpedal
verb
back·ped·al
| \ ˈbak-ˌpe-dᵊl
\
\
backpedaled;
backpedaling;
backpedals
Definition of backpedal
: to retreat or move backward
Examples of backpedal in a Sentence
The outfielder backpedaled a few steps to catch the fly ball.
Recent Examples on the Web
Most days, the clock would be winding down, with Doering backpedaling before falling backward while making a one-handed, game-winning touchdown catch just like James Jones in 1982. — Edgar Thompson, orlandosentinel.com, "Florida, Miami renew rivalry with a rich history mostly lost on current Gators, 'Canes," 22 Aug. 2019 Later the White House seemed to backpedal a bit and talk up the dollar. — Fortune, "The Week Trump and Xi Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Trade War—CEO Daily," 10 Aug. 2019 Instead, the poems, somewhat frustratingly, appear to backpedal. — Jamie Quatro, The New Yorker, "The Hidden Life of a Forgotten Sixteenth-Century Female Poet," 5 Aug. 2019 When Manasse tried to dink a shot over Gauff’s head midway through the first set, the teenager backpedaled quickly and fired an overhand charge past her 24-year-old foe. — Andrew Kostka, USA TODAY, "Fans come out to watch Wimbledon sensation Coco Gauff cruise to victory at Citi Open," 27 July 2019 Opponents are left to backpedal, to organize and resist when under intense stress, but the grandest of sporting stages are always as much a mental battle as physical. — Aimee Lewis, CNN, "USWNT wins Women's World Cup thanks to Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle goals," 7 July 2019 President Donald Trump may be backpedaling, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., had no hesitation Sunday night in inviting the U.S. women's national soccer team to the Capitol after its victory in the World Cup. — courant.com, "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi invites U.S. women’s national soccer team to the Capitol," 9 July 2019 Each ball acted as if Ervin had threatened it, and settled precisely between rightfielder Jason Heyward and the backpedaling infielders. — Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Paul Daugherty: The Cincinnati Reds certainly have a shot in the underwhelming NL Central," 30 June 2019 Trump is in Europe this week and has shown little willingness to backpedal on his threat to impose the tariffs. — Damian Paletta, Washington Post, "White House official says Mexico tariffs might not go into effect after Trump says ‘no bluff’," 6 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'backpedal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for backpedal
backpedal
verb
English Language Learners Definition of backpedal
: to move backward with quick steps
See the full definition for backpedal in the English Language Learners Dictionary