1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

backtracked

verb

past tense of backtrack
1
as in reverted

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words
2
as in backpedaled

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of backtracked 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backtracked
  1. reverted
  2. retracted
  3. revoked
  4. rescinded
  5. overturned
Verb
  • The prices later reverted after public polling continued to show Paxton leading, the report also found.
    — Garrett Downs, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
  • That project was scrapped in February 2025 due to creative differences and the rights have since reverted back to Maas.
    — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of reverted
Verb
  • When the refill is retracted, the Telegraph Key can also be pressed repeatedly, turning the mechanism into a satisfying tactile interaction even when the pen is not being used for writing.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 9 Sep. 2026
  • But the subtitle’s Hail Mary overtones hit everybody wrong, everywhere, all at once, and the movie quickly retracted it.
    — Michael Phillips, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of retracted
Verb
  • In 2018, Kelly sided with CNN after its then-chief White House correspondent, Jim Acosta, had his hard pass revoked.
    — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The White House barred entry to staffers from the three outlets on Saturday and revoked their press passes.
    — Todd Spangler, Variety, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of revoked
Verb
  • She was called for a technical after making contact with an official while going out of bounds, but the league rescinded it after the game, returning her total to seven and eliminating the suspension.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The lawsuit states that Baker-Mazara had an invite to a pre-NBA draft event rescinded because of his USC exit.
    — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of rescinded
Verb
  • In a legal filing, the administration says that precedent should be overturned.
    — David Folkenflik, NPR, 23 Sep. 2026
  • But his conviction was overturned in 2024 by a New York state appeals court, and a judge ordered a new trial.
    — Adam Reiss, NBC news, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of overturned

Browse Nearby Words

backtrack
backtracked
backtracking
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Backtracked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backtracked. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 25
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All