as in to backtrack
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Recent Examples of backpedal
Simone prods for reconciliation or at least an explanation, but Phaedra doesn’t backpedal.
—
Shelby Stewart, Essence, 27 Jan. 2025
However, after some backlash, the airline backpedaled, announcing the forthcoming access policies a month later.
—Bailey Berg, AFAR Media, 24 Jan. 2025
In step, some US companies – including the nation’s largest employer, Walmart – have backpedaled on some DEI initiatives, including racial equity training programs for staff and evaluations designed to boost supplier diversity.
—Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN, 22 Jan. 2025
When Syria’s then-President Bashar al-Assad launched rockets with chemical gas and killed hundreds of civilians anyway, Obama backpedaled and ultimately chose not to invade, a move critics say allowed the civil war to spiral further while extremist groups took advantage by recruiting locals.
—Brett Murphy, ProPublica, 15 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for backpedal 
Shelby Stewart, Essence, 27 Jan. 2025
However, after some backlash, the airline backpedaled, announcing the forthcoming access policies a month later.
—Bailey Berg, AFAR Media, 24 Jan. 2025
In step, some US companies – including the nation’s largest employer, Walmart – have backpedaled on some DEI initiatives, including racial equity training programs for staff and evaluations designed to boost supplier diversity.
—Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN, 22 Jan. 2025
When Syria’s then-President Bashar al-Assad launched rockets with chemical gas and killed hundreds of civilians anyway, Obama backpedaled and ultimately chose not to invade, a move critics say allowed the civil war to spiral further while extremist groups took advantage by recruiting locals.
—Brett Murphy, ProPublica, 15 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for backpedal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backpedal
Verb
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Not only that, but one student's absence can affect the achievement of their peers, too, with teachers being forced to spend more time backtracking and repeating instruction.—
Cory Turner,
NPR,
11 Feb. 2025
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Just one week ago, Osbourne backtracked on his suicide ruling.—
Mollie Markowitz,
Fox News,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
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And the news is in some ways good—but even now, far more papers should be retracted than are retracted.—
Adam Marcus,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2025
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However, that paper was retracted because of undeclared competing interests on the part of the author and concerns about the validity of the methods and statistical analysis.—
Will Stone,
NPR,
30 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The campaign manager of a Miami-Dade mayoral candidate won’t face charges including statutory rape after his 17-year-old accuser recanted his statements to prosecutors, to television interviewers and on social media.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
3 Feb. 2025
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Senator Michael Bennet, a Democrat representing Colorado, became exasperated when Gabbard continued to talk around a condemnation of Snowden’s actions and refused to recant past comments justifying Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.—
Brian Bennett,
TIME,
30 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Backpedal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backpedal. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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