Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - backtrack

also back-track (backtracks, backtracking, backtracked) 1. If you backtrack on a statement or decision you have made, you do or say something that shows that you no longer agree with it or support it. The committee backtracked by scrapping the controversial bonus system... The finance minister backtracked on his decision. = back-pedal VERB: V, V on/from n • backtracking He promised there would be no backtracking on policies. N-UNCOUNT 2. If you backtrack, you go back along a path or route you have just used. Leonard jumped in his car and started backtracking... We had to backtrack to the corner and cross the street. VERB: V, V prep 3. If you backtrack in an account or explanation, you talk about things which happened before the ones you were previously talking about. Can we just backtrack a little bit and look at your primary and secondary education? VERB: V