A backflip is an acrobatic move where you jump straight up, rotate your body backward through the air in a complete circle, and land on your feet. Your head goes down and back while your feet swing up and over, making a full 360-degree rotation.

Gymnasts perform backflips on floor mats and balance beams. Cheerleaders include them in routines. Martial artists practice backflips as part of their training. Skateboarders and snowboarders do backflips while flying through the air, rotating themselves and their board together before landing. Even some swimmers perform backflips off diving boards.

Learning a backflip takes serious practice, proper training, and usually a coach or spotter to keep you safe. People typically start by practicing on trampolines or into foam pits, where falling won't result in injury. The move requires a combination of strength, timing, and courage: you have to jump high enough, tuck your knees at the right moment, and commit fully to the rotation.

The word can also mean suddenly changing your opinion or decision to the complete opposite, like when a politician does a backflip on an issue by supporting what they once opposed.