back-pedal

[bak-ped-l] / ˈbækˌpɛd l /

VERB

change mind

Synonyms

WEAK

back out of change opinion default on do a U-turn do an about-face fail to honor go back on go into reverse have second thoughts reconsider renege shift one's ground sing a different song take back

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

At the time, Nigeria also warned that it would not tolerate Ukraine's recruitment drive, forcing it to back-pedal.

From BBC • Dec. 1, 2025

I tried to back-pedal, saying, “Look, it will be fine for the dog to live inside the house with us,” and here I really should have deployed a full stop and ended the sentence.

From The Guardian • Jun. 20, 2016

Carrey isn’t the first actor to back-pedal on a project—but he’s still bringing something new into the mix.

From Time • Jun. 25, 2013

After jokingly offering to marry Owens if she moved from Kentucky to Illinois, Lincoln tried to back-pedal when she appeared genuinely interested.

From Slate • Nov. 17, 2012

A second later, he was standing on my toes, elbows jammed into my chest, as he tried to back-pedal into the closet-sized kitchen we'd just left.

From Little Brother by Doctorow, Cory