backslide

verb

back·​slide ˈbak-ˌslīd How to pronounce backslide (audio)
backslid ˈbak-ˌslid How to pronounce backslide (audio) ; backslid or backslidden ˈbak-ˌsli-dᵊn How to pronounce backslide (audio) ; backsliding ˈbak-ˌslī-diŋ How to pronounce backslide (audio)

intransitive verb

1
: to lapse morally or in the practice of religion
2
: to revert to a worse condition : retrogress
backslide noun
backslider noun

Examples of backslide in a Sentence

Smokers who quit often backslide within a year.
Recent Examples on the Web Change is never easy, but legacy Fitbit users have been through enough this year, and Google can’t afford to backslide here. Quentyn Kennemer, The Verge, 5 Oct. 2024 These erosions are neither universal nor inevitable; according to Freedom House, 11 African countries experienced improvements in political rights in 2022 compared with nine states that experienced backsliding. Joseph Sany, Foreign Affairs, 30 Jan. 2024 The big picture: The gutting of press freedoms is often the first and clearest sign that a democratic country is backsliding. Sara Fischer, Axios, 25 Sep. 2024 Those odds may seem low (and young democracies can backslide), but consider that there are no examples of democratization after the departure of similar authoritarians who died in office or were overthrown via a coup or civil war. Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 20 June 2023 See all Example Sentences for backslide 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'backslide.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1554, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of backslide was in 1554

Dictionary Entries Near backslide

Cite this Entry

“Backslide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backslide. Accessed 2 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

backslide

verb
back·​slide ˈbak-ˌslīd How to pronounce backslide (audio)
backslid -ˌslid How to pronounce backslide (audio) ; backslid or backslidden -ˌslid-ᵊn How to pronounce backslide (audio) ; backsliding -ˌslīd-iŋ How to pronounce backslide (audio)
1
: to go back to a less religious or less moral condition
2
: to go back to a worse condition
backslide noun
backslider noun

More from Merriam-Webster on backslide

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!