walk back
verb
walked back; walking back; walks back
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
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
Julian HattemExamples of walk back in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
By the time the truth came out, Green was forced to walk back his words — though even his attempt at an apology managed to promote his own podcast.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2025
The other man left the room 20 minutes later, briefly returned, then walked back out.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2025
After the close of trading, the White House walked back that threat.
—Joe Rennison, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2025
However, Ontario suspended those plans after talks with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and the U.S. appeared to walk back the 50% for now.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for walk back
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Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2025
The other man left the room 20 minutes later, briefly returned, then walked back out.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2025
After the close of trading, the White House walked back that threat.
—Joe Rennison, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2025
However, Ontario suspended those plans after talks with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and the U.S. appeared to walk back the 50% for now.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for walk back
Articles Related to walk back
Cite this Entry
“Walk back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/walk%20back. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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