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.
At the end of the cocktail hour, the gospel choir returned to sing as guests walked back into The Pool for dinner where the tables were overflowing with candles, florals, and fruits. Alexandra MacOn, Vogue, 22 Nov. 2024 And the night of the election, Trump appeared to walk back his harshest campaign rhetoric. Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 21 Nov. 2024 As the Vikings walked back onto the field, the offense had a chance to pick up the defense. Dane Mizutani, Twin Cities, 17 Nov. 2024 But since then, those companies have made cuts to those teams and walked back policies designed to restrict false claims about politics and elections. Clare Duffy, CNN, 5 Nov. 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 28 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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