How to Use backslide in a Sentence

backslide

verb
  • Smokers who quit often backslide within a year.
  • Now is no time for backsliding on the prison.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
  • Some have also been on hand as the program has backslid since.
    — Zach Osterman, Indianapolis Star, 1 Feb. 2018
  • Surely there would be no backsliding from that, right?
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Woods sent himself backsliding in the first five holes of his second round.
    — Tim Layden, SI.com, 6 Apr. 2018
  • The temptation to backslide can be strong — and must be guarded against.
    — Pratap Khedkar, STAT, 28 July 2022
  • That was not, however, due to backsliding by the city.
    — Jamie Kalven, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
  • The city has been backsliding in its commitment to move people from the dole to work.
    — Stephen Eide, National Review, 3 May 2025
  • Points were awarded for meeting the goal and were taken away for backsliding.
    — Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 5 Aug. 2024
  • The stakes are too high, and the potential for backsliding too real.
    — Lewis M. Rambo, Twin Cities, 2 Mar. 2025
  • There’s always the potential for progress to backslide.
    — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 19 Aug. 2025
  • And key countries are backsliding.
    — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 8 Apr. 2026
  • Bass, in turn, warned the county’s actions could cause the city to backslide in its fight against homelessness.
    — David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
  • Sometimes good hitters can backslide, but both of them could heat up as the season progresses.
    — Daniel R. Epstein, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
  • Over the next few years, Fishback would sometimes seem to improve, only to backslide.
    — C.j. Chivers, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2023
  • Without the court to keep it in check, the Sheriff’s Office could backslide.
    — Rafael Carranza, ProPublica, 26 Mar. 2026
  • This looks like backsliding for a region that was already struggling to meet its emissions targets.
    — Julius Cesar Trajano, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
  • McAvoy, backsliding to cut off the middle, lost his grip on the ice and knocked Swayman out of the way of the puck.
    — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Apr. 2023
  • There were fears that Texas could backslide, particularly as new variants of the virus emerge.
    — New York Times, 10 Mar. 2021
  • In each of the last three years, the population would have to exceed the average to ensure the species doesn’t backslide.
    — Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2018
  • Locking in change and preventing backsliding is often a greater challenge.
    — Julia Dhar, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Change is never easy, but legacy Fitbit users have been through enough this year, and Google can’t afford to backslide here.
    — Antonio G. Di Benedetto, The Verge, 4 Dec. 2023
  • Change is never easy, but legacy Fitbit users have been through enough this year, and Google can’t afford to backslide here.
    — Quentyn Kennemer, The Verge, 5 Oct. 2024
  • Change is never easy, but legacy Fitbit users have been through enough this year, and Google can’t afford to backslide here.
    — Brandon Widder, The Verge, 16 Dec. 2023
  • In the past, Beijing has initially carried out each round of sanctions, only to backslide.
    — Author: Carol Morello, Alaska Dispatch News, 14 Aug. 2017
  • Even star point guard Tyrese Maxey has backslid in terms of his shooting efficiency.
    — Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
  • Now that the company is pulling back on DEI, there will likely be backsliding.
    — Nathan Bomey, Axios, 11 Feb. 2025
  • The accumulation of these stories has an effect even if progress is too slow and backsliding is inevitable.
    — Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2023
  • And, if Tuesday’s projections prove accurate, scores could even backslide.
    — Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 10 June 2026
  • What followed in Serbia was backsliding on democracy.
    — Hanna Begić, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'backslide.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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