backpedal

About 0.02 uses per million words.

Meaning

1. verb To pedal backwards on a bicycle.
2. verb To step backwards.

   The player had to backpedal before catching the ball.

3. verb To distance oneself from an earlier claim or statement; back off from an idea.

   Though initially adopting a hard-line stance, the politician soon started to backpedal.

4. noun An act of backpedalling (in any sense).

Similar words

backpeddle backpaddle pedal repeddle back up backstep back bicycle kick backswing kick

Often followed by

on and to from in a away out into

Word family

backpedaled backpedaling backpedalled backpedalling backpedals