backtrack

Pronunciation

• IPA ^(key): /ˈbæk.træk/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Verb

Plain form backtrack

Third-person singular backtracks

Past tense backtracked

Past participle backtracked

Present participle backtracking

1. If you backtrack, you retrace one's steps.

   I dropped my sunglasses and had to backtrack to find them.

2. If you backtrack, you repeat or review work that is already done.

   If we backtrack through this problem, maybe we can figure out where we went wrong.

3. (aviation) If a plane backtracks, it taxis down an active runway in the opposite direction to that being used for takeoff.

   Speedbird One: enter and backtrack Runway 27 Left.