backtrack
/ˈbæk.tɹæk/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 2.72 in modern English
23
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The act of backtracking.
verb
verb
To exercise a racehorse around the racetrack in the opposite direction to that in which races are run.
verb
To go back on or withdraw a statement.
Example Sentences
- "I dropped my sunglasses and had to backtrack to find them."
- "Trophy in paw, I invest another hour twenty backtracking to find my original spawn-in spot, and reduce Fluffoki and her little friendlings to so much dead flesh, although sorry to say, it being a kids' game, they die in splatters of sparks rather than [...]"
- "If we backtrack through this problem, maybe we can figure out where we went wrong."
- "Speedbird One: enter and backtrack Runway 27 Left."
- "After enormous public outrage, the government backtracked on its proposed ban."
- "Woodward’s mild rebuke of Tatis received backlash from most players who spoke out, and even Woodward backtracked and reexplained himself the next day."
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰeg-der.? Proto-Germanic *baką Proto-West Germanic *bak Old English bæc Middle English bak English back English track English backtrack From back + track.