1. the act of retracing one’s steps or returning along the same path
2. the act of reversing or abandoning a previous position, decision, or statement
3. a problem-solving method that involves trying different solutions and undoing them if they don’t work
Usage: computing; mathematics

1. present participle of backtrack: to retrace one’s steps or reverse a previous decision

Examples

• The hikers spent hours backtracking after they realized they had taken the wrong trail.
• The politician’s backtracking on his campaign promises disappointed many voters.
• After getting lost in the maze, we had to do some serious backtracking to find our way out.
• The company is backtracking on its decision to close the local factory.
• The algorithm uses backtracking to solve the puzzle efficiently.
• Her constant backtracking made it difficult to trust her commitments.
• The detective was backtracking through the evidence to find new clues.