backpaddle
backpaddle Lexical Profile
backpaddle Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To paddle backward in order to slow down, stop, or reverse the direction of a boat or surfboard.
"We had to backpaddle furiously to avoid being swept over the low weir."
To retreat from or reverse a previous statement, opinion, or course of action.
"Realizing how unpopular the proposal was, the committee chairperson began to backpaddle during the press conference."
• noun
A backward stroke made with a paddle to slow, stop, or reverse the direction of a canoe, kayak, or similar watercraft.
"With a quick backpaddle on the port side, the guide pivoted the canoe away from the submerged rocks."
Word Nuance & Usage
Often confused with 'backpedal'; while both can mean to retreat from a statement or position, 'backpaddle' originates from canoeing, whereas 'backpedal' comes from cycling and boxing and is the more common standard term in figurative use.
• Nearby Words
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.