takapakkia

Finnish

Etymology

taka- (“back-”) +‎ pakki (“reverse”) +‎ -a (“partitive case ending”); pleonastic term

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɑkɑˌpɑkːiɑ/, [ˈt̪ɑ̝kɑ̝ˌpɑ̝kːiɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -ɑkːiɑ
• Syllabification^(key): ta‧ka‧pak‧ki‧a

Adverb

takapakkia (colloquial)

1. Used postpositionally with verbs ottaa (“to take”) and mennä (“to go”) to signify: to backpedal, to reverse.

   Hän meni syytöksissään liian pitkälle ja joutui ottamaan takapakkia.

   He went too far with his accusations and had to backpedal.

Synonyms

Synonyms for "ottaa takapakkia":

• peruuttaa (“to reverse”)
• ottaa takaisin (“to take back”) (in figurative usage)