backtrack

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The new ambassador appeared to later backtrack, saying the US government respected the independence and findings of South Africa's judiciary.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

“The President has this tendency to TACO,” he said, referring to Trump’s tendency to announce tough policies only to backtrack on those announcements later.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

In September, mere hours after Charlie Kirk was killed, Patel prematurely announced a suspect had been apprehended — only to have to backtrack when authorities had taken the wrong man into custody.

From Salon • Feb. 14, 2026

Over the past year, the government has been forced to backtrack on some of its policies - including cuts to welfare and the winter fuel payment - after objections from its own MPs.

From BBC • Nov. 17, 2025

I dared not go far over the hilltops, lest I lose my backtrack; it was wild country, steep, full of creeks and ravines, rising fast to the cloud-haunted mountains eastward.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin