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In some senses, backpedal is marked as idiomatic. Watch for register when choosing this word.
backpedal
/ˈbækˌpɛdəɫ/
verb 3noun 1
Collocations
3ADJ.
soon
VERB + BACKPEDAL
started
PREP.
out
Definitions
verb
1
To pedal backwards on a bicycle.
The road was on a hill and the boy was going down the slope, and as he flashed by he started backpedalling very quickly so that the free-wheeling mechanism of his bike made a loud whirring sound.
2
To step backwards.
The player had to backpedal before catching the ball.
3
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.
The best car sound of 1999 is that of a new Rover 75 being furiously backpedalled through the motoring page of the Sunday Times.
noun
1
An act of backpedalling (in any sense).
He should come out of his backpedal and turn to run only when a receiver threatens to get behind him in the zone.
They were doing 50 yards of lunges, 50 yards of backpedals, sprinting for 50 yards and power walking one mile around the track to help him reach his target heart rate.
Thesaurus
Synonyms
Antonyms
Idioms & Phrases
Example Bank
501
The road was on a hill and the boy was going down the slope, and as he flashed by he started backpedalling very quickly so that the free-wheeling mechanism of his bike made a loud whirring sound.
Wiktionary02
The player had to backpedal before catching the ball.
Wiktionary03
Though initially adopting a hard-line stance, the politician soon started to backpedal.
Wiktionary04
He should come out of his backpedal and turn to run only when a receiver threatens to get behind him in the zone.
Wiktionary05
They were doing 50 yards of lunges, 50 yards of backpedals, sprinting for 50 yards and power walking one mile around the track to help him reach his target heart rate.
WiktionaryUsage Notes
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