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.

But the legal arguments in this letter were so weak that no one pursued them seriously, and the Department of Justice later had to backtrack the arguments in court.

From Slate • Apr. 29, 2026

Last week, the NUS handed in a petition signed by 13,000 students calling on the government to backtrack.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026

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

I tried to think of what to type, how to backtrack, when another text came in.

From "Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel" by Harlan Coben