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
But strikes continued within hours, hitting Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, and Pezeshkian quickly issued a statement walking back his remarks.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
More recently, the administration walked back an Obama-era environmental decision that was the legal basis for establishing federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions.
—Morgan Korn, ABC News, 8 Mar. 2026
Brasser, who was a passenger in a vehicle nearby driven by another suspect, spotted Starzynski walking back to his vehicle and placing a blue bank bag in his trunk.
—Richard Ramos, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
Rubio dutifully walked back his own remarks, insisting that the decision had been made separate from and prior to Israel’s.
—Marie-Rose Sheinerman, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for walk back
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Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
More recently, the administration walked back an Obama-era environmental decision that was the legal basis for establishing federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions.
—Morgan Korn, ABC News, 8 Mar. 2026
Brasser, who was a passenger in a vehicle nearby driven by another suspect, spotted Starzynski walking back to his vehicle and placing a blue bank bag in his trunk.
—Richard Ramos, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
Rubio dutifully walked back his own remarks, insisting that the decision had been made separate from and prior to Israel’s.
—Marie-Rose Sheinerman, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
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 11 Mar. 2026.
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