backtrack

4 definitions • 6 examples

to go back along a path that you have just followed:

We went the wrong way and had to backtrack till we got to the right turning.

to say that you did not mean something you said earlier or say that you have changed your opinion:

[ + speech ] "All right," he backtracked, "It's possible that I was mistaken."

The officers were forced to backtrack on their statements.

She refused to backtrack from her criticisms of the proposal.

to go back the same way you came, or to consider information again:

We need to backtrack a bit and examine the history of this problem.

If you backtrack from something you previously said or agreed to do, you begin to stop supporting it:

The government backtracked on plans that would have increased taxes.