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
The Tribune spent several days exploring these dying malls, talking to their visitors and walking back through time.
—Audrey Pachuta, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026
The chatbots then walked back some of their original conclusions, with Claude specifically noting that its original planning horizon was too short.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 8 May 2026
It’s believed that everyone else died while encamped for the winter or while attempting to walk back to civilization.
—ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026
Two companies developing a therapy for a rare blood cancer have reached an agreement with the Food and Drug Administration that walked back the agency’s main reason for rejecting the drug in January.
—Adam Feuerstein, STAT, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for walk back
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Audrey Pachuta, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026
The chatbots then walked back some of their original conclusions, with Claude specifically noting that its original planning horizon was too short.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 8 May 2026
It’s believed that everyone else died while encamped for the winter or while attempting to walk back to civilization.
—ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026
Two companies developing a therapy for a rare blood cancer have reached an agreement with the Food and Drug Administration that walked back the agency’s main reason for rejecting the drug in January.
—Adam Feuerstein, STAT, 7 May 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 May. 2026.
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