backslide
verb
back·slide
ˈbak-ˌslīd 
backslid
ˈbak-ˌslid
; backslid or backslidden
ˈbak-ˌsli-dᵊn
; backsliding
ˈbak-ˌslī-diŋ
; backslid or backslidden
ˈbak-ˌsli-dᵊn
; backsliding
ˈbak-ˌslī-diŋ
1
: to lapse morally or in the practice of religion
2
: to revert to a worse condition : retrogress
backslide
noun
Examples of backslide in a Sentence
Smokers who quit often backslide within a year.
Recent Examples on the Web
Mercenaries are ideal disruptors in a post-truth reality marked by democratic backsliding and grey-zone warfare.
—
Alia Brahimi, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
These series reject the streamer bloat of our last decade and rip through story, embracing the breakneck pacing and dynamic rhythms of soap operas while also plunging into of-the-moment anxiety over backsliding feminist gains and uncertainty about exactly what kind of womanhood is aspirational.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
Locking in change and preventing backsliding is often a greater challenge.
—Julia Dhar, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Democracies are backsliding and freedom is increasingly under threat across the globe.
—Jason Carter, Time, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backslide
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Alia Brahimi, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
These series reject the streamer bloat of our last decade and rip through story, embracing the breakneck pacing and dynamic rhythms of soap operas while also plunging into of-the-moment anxiety over backsliding feminist gains and uncertainty about exactly what kind of womanhood is aspirational.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
Locking in change and preventing backsliding is often a greater challenge.
—Julia Dhar, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Democracies are backsliding and freedom is increasingly under threat across the globe.
—Jason Carter, Time, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backslide
Cite this Entry
“Backslide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backslide. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
backslide
verb
back·slide
ˈbak-ˌslīd
1
: to go back to a less religious or less moral condition
2
: to go back to a worse condition
backslide
noun
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