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

The driver returned to the driver’s seat, and the dog walked back toward the passenger side, according to police. — Eric Weiss, Sun Sentinel, 6 Nov. 2026

This suspect returns back to his car, retrieves his handgun, walks back over to the victim, who’s trying to crawl away with her life, and executes her. — Dan Sullivan, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Nov. 2026

Tokyo has held firm, refusing to walk back Takaichi’s statement; the restrictions remain in force, and Japan’s mineral stockpiles are dwindling. — Theodore Bunzel, Foreign Affairs, 2 Nov. 2026

On Mljet, while walking back from the lakes with our wet hair dripping down our backs, someone asks whether anyone has a hair mask, because the sea salt is wrecking hers and ruining her extensions. — Michaela Trimble, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

2000, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for walk back

• aback
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• cognac
• comeback
• cutback