backtrack
verb
back·track
ˈbak-ˌtrak 
backtracked; backtracking; backtracks
1
a
: to retrace one's course
b
: to go back to an earlier point in a sequence
2
: to reverse a position
Examples of backtrack in a Sentence
The hikers realized they had made a wrong turn and would have to backtrack.
Let me backtrack for a moment and pick up our previous conversation.
Recent Examples on the Web
But after experiencing more resistance to mandates than perhaps expected, bosses are backtracking and thinking more in line with Houston.
—
Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2024
Running into dead ends and having to backtrack is natural for a fledgling field like astrobiology.
—Elise Cutts, WIRED, 7 Apr. 2024
Mike signals to slowly backtrack along the water's edge, where several hippos, feeling equally territorial, begin snorting and honking.
—Alex Postman, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Apr. 2024
More recently, however, companies have backtracked on those commitments, laying off their DEI officers and cutting back on related training.
—Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile, McDonalds and Krispy Kreme are linking up to sell doughnuts, and Chik-fil-A is backtracking on antibiotics in chicken.
Check out those and more retail news highlights.
—Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 29 Mar. 2024
Self-checkout reversal Dollar General is the latest retailer to backtrack on self-checkout.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024
When Zimmer started to prioritize cost-cutting, Kassan argues that the firm backtracked on its promises.
—Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024
The pings allowed the company to confirm that the plane backtracked over Malaysia before the final ping somewhere over the Indian Ocean.
—Greg Wehner, Fox News, 4 Mar. 2024
Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2024
Running into dead ends and having to backtrack is natural for a fledgling field like astrobiology.
—Elise Cutts, WIRED, 7 Apr. 2024
Mike signals to slowly backtrack along the water's edge, where several hippos, feeling equally territorial, begin snorting and honking.
—Alex Postman, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Apr. 2024
More recently, however, companies have backtracked on those commitments, laying off their DEI officers and cutting back on related training.
—Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile, McDonalds and Krispy Kreme are linking up to sell doughnuts, and Chik-fil-A is backtracking on antibiotics in chicken.
Check out those and more retail news highlights.
—Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 29 Mar. 2024
Self-checkout reversal Dollar General is the latest retailer to backtrack on self-checkout.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024
When Zimmer started to prioritize cost-cutting, Kassan argues that the firm backtracked on its promises.
—Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024
The pings allowed the company to confirm that the plane backtracked over Malaysia before the final ping somewhere over the Indian Ocean.
—Greg Wehner, Fox News, 4 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'backtrack.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near backtrack
Cite this Entry
“Backtrack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backtrack. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
backtrack
verb
back·track
ˈbak-ˌtrak
1
: to go back over a course or path
2
: to reverse a position or stand
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share