backpedal

verb

back·​ped·​al ˈbak-ˌpe-dᵊl 

backpedaled; backpedaling; backpedals

intransitive verb

: 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

Arrington struggled against the Seahawks’ length at receiver, so Bill Belichick replaced him with Logan Ryan, who ceded too much cushion before backpedaling into the end zone and allowing an easy Chris Matthews touchdown catch to tie the game, 14-14, with two seconds left in the first half. —Jeff Howe, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2026

But Woolen jawed at the Rams bench while backpedaling with his hands behind his back after the play. —Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 31 Jan. 2026

Los Angeles led 17-10 in the final minute and the Bears faced fourth-and-4 from the 14-yard line when Williams backpedaled to avoid the pass rush and heaved the ball to Cole Kmet for the tying touchdown with 18 seconds left. —Andrew Seligman, Twin Cities, 19 Jan. 2026

Quarterback Bo Nix, in a sight much too frequent in the 19-3 win, was left to backpedal for his life and loft a duck of an incompletion. —Luca Evans, Denver Post, 7 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for backpedal

• bipedal
• bedell
• heddle
• medal
• meddle
• pedal
• peddle
• wedel
• intermeddle