back-pedal

He later tried to back-pedal, claiming he was misquoted, but the country's human rights body found his comments "hurtful and harmful".

From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2026

I tried to back-pedal, saying, “Look, it will be fine for the dog to live inside the house with us,” and here I really should have deployed a full stop and ended the sentence.

From The Guardian ● Jun. 20, 2016

Carrey isn’t the first actor to back-pedal on a project—but he’s still bringing something new into the mix.

From Time ● Jun. 25, 2013

After jokingly offering to marry Owens if she moved from Kentucky to Illinois, Lincoln tried to back-pedal when she appeared genuinely interested.

From Slate ● Nov. 17, 2012

I shouted; 'and back-pedal for all you are worth!'

From Foe-Farrell by Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch

Conklin’s knee collapsed under him as he back-pedaled and he struggled just walking to the sideline before being carted to the locker room.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 29, 2021

He back-pedaled as Canelo pursued, sensing perhaps that the Russian was showing some signs of fatigue.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2019

In the meantime, they have back-pedaled on some of the claims originally listed in the initial pitch.

From Scientific American ● Oct. 3, 2014

But as thousands of people in Ukraine worried about their exposures from the Chernobyl blast, Soviet medical officials back-pedaled on the FIB-4 doctors’ original findings.

From Slate ● Apr. 18, 2013

But there was a slight limp in his movements as he back-pedaled away from the Nipe.

From Anything You Can Do ... by Randall Garrett

Making the goal better was the back-pedaling Marshall’s desperate dive in a forlorn bid to stop the ball from going in.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 12, 2021

Harvard's back-pedaling follows protests from high-profile figures in the U.S. intelligence community after Harvard made the initial announcement Wednesday.

From Time ● Sep. 15, 2017

The back-pedaling Villa nodded an expert header back across the goal and beyond Hamid’s reach.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 12, 2017

In others —  many, many others —  the back-pedaling by defenders doesn’t last nearly as long.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 31, 2017

Yet despite reviewers’ complaints about the nano’s missing playback buttons, it’s hard to imagine Apple back-pedaling.

From Slate ● Nov. 3, 2011

Hope hooked Mahmood, Carse misjudged, back-pedalled and stuck up a hand to produce a copy of Ben Stokes's famous grab at The Oval during the 2019 World Cup.

From BBC ● May 29, 2025

Ivana later back-pedalled on the statement, according to previous coverage by Salon, saying:

From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2022

The government back-pedalled on the planned reopening this week for international tourism due to the threat of the Omicron variant.

From Reuters ● Dec. 2, 2021

Unlike anyone before or ever since, Robinson’s jab as he back-pedalled was just as hurtful as when he was on the front foot.

From The Guardian ● Feb. 8, 2016

He determined to keep his feet going as long as he safely could, and he back-pedalled gently to keep them in place.

From Harper's Round Table, October 22, 1895 by Various

Cummins took a fine catch back-pedalling at mid-on to end a seventh-wicket stand of 91.

From BBC ● Dec. 20, 2025

He's now furiously back-pedalling and telling anyone who will listen that he is not racist - no doubt with one eye on the effect his comments will have at the box office.

From BBC ● Feb. 6, 2019

From just inside City’s half the No9’s attempted lob had Bravo back-pedalling to tip over.

From The Guardian ● Nov. 5, 2016

After centuries of perfecting the ritual of ‘civilized’ dining, there is a furious back-pedalling, a wilding, even among the chefs who employ the most cutting-edge techniques.

From Slate ● Nov. 7, 2013

It was a word of dread among cyclists until, say, the year 1900, when rim-and back-pedalling brakes superseded the inefficient spoon-brake, acting on the front tyre.

From The Brighton Road The Classic Highway to the South by Charles G. (Charles George) Harper