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Definitions

backtrack

[bak-trak] / ˈbækˌtræk /


VERB
retrace one's step
Synonyms


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.

“The President has this tendency to TACO,” he said, referring to Trump’s tendency to announce tough policies only to backtrack on those announcements later.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

In September, mere hours after Charlie Kirk was killed, Patel prematurely announced a suspect had been apprehended — only to have to backtrack when authorities had taken the wrong man into custody.

From Salon • Feb. 14, 2026

The boss told analysts Starbucks did not plan to backtrack on its labour investments as it hunts for savings, confident that what sets the firm apart is not its coffee, but its cafes.

From BBC • Feb. 1, 2026

After first mass wartime protests and a backlash from the EU allies, he was forced to backtrack.

From Barron's • Nov. 13, 2025

He’d try it the other way too, then backtrack, then rewrite what he’d written, again and again, until he couldn’t even tell if what he was writing was different from what he’d written before.

From "Typical American" by Gish Jen