walk back

verb

walked back; walking back; walks back

transitive verb

US
: to retreat from or distance oneself from (a previously stated opinion or position)
… try not to say anything in the primary campaign that you might need to walk back in the general election.The Progressive Populist
… has tried to walk back his suggestion about Japan, in particular, claiming in recent days that he "never said" that the Asian nation should acquire nuclear weapons.Julian Hattem

Examples of walk back in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Graham later walked back his comments, but Hurts and Brown seemed to determined to prove his original remarks wrong on Sunday. Sam Joseph and, CNN, 16 Dec. 2024 Meanwhile, after making inflation and the cost of groceries a key part of his campaign, Trump has begun to walk back some of his promises to lower prices. The Editors, The Atlantic, 14 Dec. 2024 However, the former New Orleans Saints quarterback walked back his comments about wanting Arch to play for the Cowboys on Wednesday after causing a stir on social media. Ryan Canfield, Fox News, 12 Dec. 2024 After that, Corcoran walked back home, sat down on the front porch and waited for police. Kristine Phillips, The Indianapolis Star, 12 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for walk back 

Word History

First Known Use

2000, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of walk back was in 2000

Cite this Entry

“Walk back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/walk%20back. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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