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.
Diguglielmo is seen initially walking away from the woman before walking back toward her. Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 2 July 2026 Other companies that have walked back their hiring plans to focus more on human capital include Commonwealth Bank of Australia and software giant IBM. Justina Lee, CNBC, 1 July 2026 The person who eventually walked back into his old life was not the same one who had left it. Alfonso Cahero, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 Ospreay and Windsor walked back up the ramp while The Death Riders exited through the crowd. Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 29 June 2026 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 5 Jul. 2026.

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