backtrack

verb

back·​track ˈbak-ˌtrak How to pronounce backtrack (audio)
backtracked; backtracking; backtracks

intransitive verb

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This method enables the model to backtrack and revise earlier steps — mimicking human thinking — while allowing users to also follow its rationale. Jasmine Cui, NBC News, 28 Jan. 2025 In an interview earlier this month, Musk backtracked on that goal. Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 24 Jan. 2025 Back then, many leading organizations championed a work-from-home culture—only to backtrack as economic pressures mounted. Ricardo Madan, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025 Blinken backtracked later in the interview and suggested that the blocking of aid was not Israeli policy. Brett Murphy, ProPublica, 15 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for backtrack 

Word History

First Known Use

1870, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of backtrack was in 1870

Dictionary Entries Near backtrack

Cite this Entry

“Backtrack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backtrack. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

backtrack

verb
back·​track ˈbak-ˌtrak How to pronounce backtrack (audio)
1
: to go back over a course or path
2
: to reverse a position or stand

More from Merriam-Webster on backtrack

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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