Backslider

Henry has been called a backslider because of the lenity of his counsels, but I cannot but think it is the Spirit of Christ that influences him. ❋ Stowe, Charles Edward (1889)

The "backslider" is an excellent illustration of the results of periodic renewal of impulse to right living. ❋ Unknown (N/A)

And as for the common, partial, and ignorant histories of France, written in our tongue, they generally make him a kind of backslider, who might have been a Huguenot ❋ Hilaire Belloc (1911)

"There'd ought to be children's words and grownup words, -- that's what I think," said Sue, decisively; "but what does 'backslider' mean?" ❋ Kate Douglas Smith Wiggin (1889)

Goldstein was the renegade and backslider who once, long ago (how long ago nobody quite remembered), had been one of the leading figures of the Party, almost on a level with BIG BROTHER himself, and then had engaged in counter-revolutionary activities, had been condemned to death and had mysteriously escaped and disappeared. ❋ Not A Sheep (2009)

One backslider returned to the fold is a greater victory than a thousand heathen. ❋ Unknown (2010)

Why, for that matter, should the international community trust a backslider with a track record of preferring force to freedom? ❋ Marc Ravalomanana (2010)

This hardly tags him as a play to the gate political backslider. ❋ Unknown (2010)

It was the same spear, he had boasted earlier, that he had used to shish-kebab the Midianite princess Cozbi and her Hebrew backslider in mid-fornication. ❋ Thomas Greanias (2010)

Speaking of Ruth, an old acquaintance of mine who is author of an obscure little book entitled Notes from the Margins of an Old Preacher's Bible refers to Naomi as "the picture of a backslider" (p. 15), which I don't think is very nice. ❋ Unknown (2008)

If you do see a dental backslider the culprit is usually a retiree from Minnesota. ❋ Unknown (2009)

Obama can't be branded a backslider, betrayer, or flip flopper for trying to do what all moderate Democrats have done and will continue to do. ❋ Unknown (2009)

In 2006, CPJ named Ethiopia the world's "worst backslider on press freedom over the previous five years". ❋ Unknown (2009)

And it would be environmentally friendly, as it would serve as an incentive to break people of this expensive indulgence, and, even better for us backslider feminists, the Plas-Tax equally taxes both sexes. ❋ Unknown (2009)

Without an appreciation of this complexity, it becomes easy to view Douglass as a backslider, just as it is easy to see Lincoln as a hopelessly cautious politician–or, as Stauffer puts it, a “conservative”–who only began to transcend politics in 1862 or 1863. ❋ Unknown (2009)

Someone who gets [safed] only to [revert] to their old [sinful] ways is referred to as a backslider ❋ Greg54B (2007)

[Bare] your windows and [lock your doors], beware the backslider roams the [moors]. ❋ The San Diego Kid (2005)

Ashley: OMG, did she just get back with her douchebag [ex-boyfriend]? Rachel: [Yeah but] only ['cause] she's been super depressed lately. Ashley: So she backslid to her ex?! What a backslider! ❋ Tedz (2012)

Everyone worries [Rhianna] is backsliding into an [abusive relationship] with [Chris Brown]. ❋ Catfish24 (2012)

"I knew I was going to backslide with [Ben] last night as soon as he walked into the bar. [My friends] are going [to kill] me" ❋ Citypretty21 (2011)

Even after tasting [true freedom] in Christ, Alex [found it] easy to backslide into [habitual] ways of the flesh. ❋ Mads Entry (2006)

'I can't [believe] you're with her again.. Man, you're [such a] [backslider], you always backslide!' ❋ New Girl123 (2012)

For [about a year], we thought we lost him, but then [one day] [Skeevo] backslides right back into our lives! ❋ F. Rodderick Hsu (2005)

Person 1: Dude, give me your phone Person 2: What? Why? Person 1: Because after this drink, you're going to [call up] [Jen] and try to get back with her...whatever she is. Person 2: What? Naw, man... Person 1: Yeah you will. You do it all the time. It's called [backsliding] ❋ Girl Anonymous (2012)

Man, look at [Cooley] [Jackson] backslide! I hope [Micheal Jackson] don't steal his move. ❋ Levesque (2006)