BACKPEDALED Synonyms: 30 Similar and Opposite Words

backpedaled

verb

past tense of backpedal

as in backtracked

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for backpedaled

Verb

Seconds later, Flore backtracked, called the foul on the floor, then backtracked his backtrack and reverted to his initial call.

— CJ Moore, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2026

Definition of backtracked

Verb

After one treatment, Kang went to the emergency room when her colostomy stoma retracted, and a scan reportedly showed that the tumor had shrunk substantially.

— Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 25 July 2026
Over the weekend, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a positive lettuce test, then retracted it a day later as a false positive.

— Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Definition of retracted

Verb

In addition, investigators working for Duncan’s legal team interviewed a jailhouse informant who recanted his earlier trial testimony that Duncan had confessed to the crime.

— Richard A. Webster, ProPublica, 29 June 2026
At least three people were arrested and police said at least four others have recanted.

— AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 17 June 2026

Definition of recanted

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backpedaled

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“Backpedaled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backpedaled. Accessed 31 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of backpedaled

verb

Example Sentences

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