backpedal

See also: back-pedal

English

Alternative forms

• back-pedal

Etymology

back +‎ pedal

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbækˌpɛdəɫ/

• Audio (US)

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• Audio (AU)

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Verb

backpedal (third-person singular simple present backpedals, present participle (US) backpedaling or (UK) backpedalling, simple past and past participle (US) backpedaled or (UK) backpedalled)

1. (intransitive) To pedal backwards on a bicycle.
   • 1984, Roald Dahl, Boy:

     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. (intransitive) To step backwards.

   The player had to backpedal before catching the ball.

3. (intransitive, idiomatic) 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.

Synonyms

• (distance oneself from an earlier claim or statement): climb down, walk back

Derived terms

• backpedal brake (on a bicycle)
• backpedaler, backpedaller

Translations

to pedal backwards on a bicycle

• Finnish: polkea taaksepäin
• French: rétropédaler (fr)
• German: rückwärts treten
• Ido: kontre-pedalagar
• Polish: pedałować do tyłu
• Portuguese: retropedalar, contrapedalar, pedalar para trás

to step backwards

• Finnish: peruuttaa (fi), ottaa takapakkia, astua taaksepäin
• French: reculer (fr)
• German: zurücktreten (de)
• Polish: iść do tyłu
• Portuguese: recuar (pt), retroceder (pt)

to distance oneself from an earlier claim or statement

• Dutch: gas terugnemen
• Finnish: peruuttaa (fi), ottaa takapakkia
• French: rétropédaler (fr), faire marche arrière (fr), faire machine arrière (fr)
• German: einen Rückzieher machen (de), zurückziehen (de) (reflexive), zurückrudern (de)
• Polish: wycofywać się impf, wycofać się pf
• Portuguese: voltar atrás, desdizer-se (pt), mudar de opinião