backstep
1 of 2noun
back·step ˈbak-ˌstep 
plural backsteps
: a backward step
A rugged, aggressive, hard-punching pugilist who refuses to take a backstep in the ring … 
San Gabriel Valley Tribune (California), 21 Oct. 2009
San Gabriel Valley Tribune (California), 21 Oct. 2009backstep
2 of 2intransitive verb
back·step ˈbak-ˌstep
backstepped; backstepping; backsteps
1
: to take a step backward
Gwynn deflected the axe again and backstepped rapidly, trying to get some space in which to catch a breath. K. J. Bishop, The Etched City, 2003
K. J. Bishop, The Etched City, 20032
: to modify, retreat from, or reverse a position or stand once taken : backtrack sense 2
Kentucky legislators forced multi-age classes on its elementary schools in 1992 as part of an education overhaul, but backstepped last year by allowing unhappy schools to opt out. Susan Hill Smith, Post and Courier (Charleston, South Carolina), 16 Sept. 1997
Susan Hill Smith, Post and Courier (Charleston, South Carolina), 16 Sept. 1997
Word History
First Known Use
Noun
1562, in the meaning defined above
Intransitive Verb
1900, in the meaning defined at sense 1