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
Some took her comments as a sign OpenAI may struggle to afford its commitments, although the company later tried to walk back the statement.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 22 Nov. 2025
Hudson later walked back those statements.
—Heath Kalb, CBS News, 22 Nov. 2025
The inmate walks back to his place in line, putting his hand on his buttocks for a moment.
—Gillian Stawiszynski, Cincinnati Enquirer, 21 Nov. 2025
However, to expect Coleman to walk back into a 71 percent role would not be a safe bet.
—Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for walk back
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Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 22 Nov. 2025
Hudson later walked back those statements.
—Heath Kalb, CBS News, 22 Nov. 2025
The inmate walks back to his place in line, putting his hand on his buttocks for a moment.
—Gillian Stawiszynski, Cincinnati Enquirer, 21 Nov. 2025
However, to expect Coleman to walk back into a 71 percent role would not be a safe bet.
—Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for walk back
Cite this Entry
“Walk back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/walk%20back. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.
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