back ‧ ped ‧ al /ˌbækˈpedl $ ˈbækˌpedl/ BrE AmE verb ( past tense and past participle backpedalled , present participle backpedalling British English , backpedaled , backpedaling American English ) [intransitive]
1 . to change your opinion or not do something that you had promised to do ⇨ backtrack :
They are backpedalling on the commitment to cut taxes.
2 . to ↑ pedal backwards on a bicycle
3 . to run or walk backwards