walk

verb

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\ ˈwȯk

walked; walking; walks

Definition of walk

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1a : to move along on foot : advance by steps

b : to come or go easily or readily

c : to go at a walk

d : to go on foot for exercise or pleasure

2 : to go to first base as a result of a base on balls

3 : to avoid criminal prosecution or conviction walked on a technicality

4a : walk out walked over problems with management

b : to pursue a course of action or way of life : conduct oneself : behave walk warily

c : to be or act in association : continue in union the British and American peoples will … walk together side by side … in peace— Sir Winston Churchill

5 of an astronaut : to move about in space outside a spacecraft

6 of an inanimate object

a : to move in a manner that is suggestive of walking

b : to stand with an appearance suggestive of strides pylons walking across the valley

7a of a spirit : to move about in visible form : appear

b of a ship : to make headway

c obsolete : roam, wander

transitive verb

1a : to cause (an animal) to go at a walk : take for a walk walking a dog

b(1) : to cause to move by walking walked her bicycle up the hill

(2) : to haul (something, such as an anchor) by walking round the capstan

2a : to accompany on foot : walk with walked her home

b : to compel to walk (as by a command)

c : to bring to a specified condition by walking walked us off our feet

3 : to follow on foot for the purpose of measuring, surveying, or inspecting walk a boundary

4 : to move (an object) in a manner suggestive of walking

5a : to pass on foot or as if on foot through, along, over, or upon : traverse, perambulate walk the streets walk a tightrope

b : to perform or accomplish by going on foot walk guard

6 : to give a base on balls to

7 : to perform (a dance) at a walking pace walk a quadrille

walk away from

1 : to give up or leave behind willingly : abandon

2 : to survive (an accident) with little or no injury

3 : to outrun or get the better of without difficulty

walk off with

1a : to steal and take away

b : to take over unexpectedly from someone else : steal sense 1d walked off with the show

2 : to win or gain especially by outdoing one's competitors without difficulty

walk on

: to take advantage of : abuse

walk on eggshells or walk on eggs

: to exercise extreme caution

walk over

: to treat contemptuously

walk the plank

1 : to walk under compulsion over the side of a ship into the sea

2 : to resign an office or position under compulsion

walk through

1 : to go through (a theatrical role, a familiar activity, etc.) perfunctorily (as in an early stage of rehearsal)

2 : to guide (someone, such as a novice) through an unfamiliar or complex procedure step-by-step

3 : to deal with or carry out perfunctorily

walk

noun

plural walks

Definition of walk (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : an act or instance of going on foot especially for exercise or pleasure go for a walk took a long walk around the neighborhood — see also take a walk

b : space walk

2 : a place designed for walking:

a(1) : a path specially arranged or paved for walking

(2) : sidewalk

b : a public avenue for promenading : promenade

c : a railed platform above the roof of a dwelling house

d : ropewalk

3 : distance to be walked a quarter mile walk from here

4 : an accustomed place of walking : haunt

5 : a place or area of land in which animals feed and exercise with minimal restraint

6 : base on balls

7 : characteristic manner of walking his walk is just like his father's

8 British : a ceremonial procession

9a : a low rate of speed the shortage of raw materials slowed production to a walk

b : the gait of a biped in which the feet are lifted alternately with one foot not clear of the ground before the other touches

c : the gait of a quadruped in which there are always at least two feet on the ground specifically : a 4-beat gait of a horse in which the feet strike the ground in the sequence near hind, near fore, off hind, off fore

10 : a route regularly traversed by a person in the performance of a particular activity (such as patrolling, begging, or vending)

11a : social or economic status all walks of life

b(1) : range or sphere of action : field, province

(2) : vocation

12 : manner of living : conduct, behavior

13 : an easy victory won in a walk

walk in the park

: an easy or pleasurable experience

Synonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing walk Learn More About walk

Examples of walk in a Sentence

Verb Is your grandson walking yet? He walks home from school every day. It's not far; you can walk there in five minutes. It was a while after the accident before she could walk again. He walked away without saying goodbye! She turned and walked away from him. The driver walked away from the accident unharmed. They walk around the neighborhood every morning for exercise. We walked around the city all day seeing the sights. He walked to the store. Noun The cliff walk along the ocean is very popular. Many exotic plants can be found along the walk. See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The Illinois recruit didn’t walk off the field for the last time this spring anything close to being satisfied — which should scare the opposition. — Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 24 June 2022 Would that Asian person walk away out of court free? — Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 23 June 2022 Raiff drew inspiration from his own life; his younger sister is disabled and can’t walk or talk. — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 23 June 2022 Taking the deal meant its founders could each walk away with a pre-tax $60 million and be freed of the difficulties of building and running a business. — Jemima Mcevoy, Forbes, 22 June 2022 Only individuals who could walk steadily were included in their analysis. — Scott Gleeson, USA TODAY, 22 June 2022 The researchers included only people who could walk steadily in their analysis. — Linda Carroll, NBC News, 21 June 2022 But no one should be able to just pick up a handgun and walk into a summer camp. — Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 21 June 2022 The video showed the suspect, wearing a tan bucket hat and a white A shirt, walk with both hands visible toward the gas station from a nearby sidewalk. — Danielle Wallace, Fox News, 20 June 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun McEntire tossed seven innings, striking out a season-high nine while allowing just three hits and one walk, giving up one run. — Tom Green | Tgreen@al.com, al, 21 June 2022 In his last start, Winckowski threw five scoreless innings while allowing just four hits and one walk in a 10-1 win over Oakland. — Andrew Mahoney, BostonGlobe.com, 20 June 2022 Making his third major league appearance, Winckowski (2-1) allowed two runs, seven hits and a walk, striking out two in 6 2/3 innings. — Jimmy Golen, Hartford Courant, 20 June 2022 Noland allowed 2 runs on 6 hits and 1 walk while striking out 1. — Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 19 June 2022 After allowing Texas A&M to load the bases on two hits and a walk without recording an out, the sophomore walked in a run and surrendered a sacrifice fly that tied the game at 2-2. — Brooks Holton, The Courier-Journal, 13 June 2022 Foster allowed four runs, three earned, on three hits and a walk and did not record an out in the 10th. — Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2022 O'Halloran was charged with seven runs (six earned) on four hits and a walk while striking out one in just ⅔ of an inning. — Kirkland Crawford, Detroit Free Press, 6 June 2022 Falco relieved junior starter Nick Dean, who pitched 5.2 innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits and a walk, while recording seven strikeouts. — Ryan Mcfadden, Baltimore Sun, 5 June 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'walk.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for walk

Verb

Middle English walken "to roll, toss about (of the sea, waves), wander, journey, go, go on foot, stroll, move about on earth (of a dead person's spirit), be in motion, circulate, be present, live," going back to Old English wealcan (strong verb) and wealcian (weak verb) "to toss about, work with the hands, turn over (in the mind), (of waves or the sea) to roll, surge," going back to Germanic *walkan- (whence also Middle Dutch walken "to knead, full [cloth]," Old High German giwalchen "fulled, thickened," as weak verbs Old Icelandic válka "to roll, stamp," velkja "to toss about"), of uncertain origin

Note: The Middle English verb experienced a remarkable degree of semantic diversification not paralleled in other Germanic languages, taking it far from its Old English sources, and leading to the usual modern meaning "to go by foot"; see detailed discussion of forms and meanings in Oxford English Dictionary, third edition. — The Germanic verb *walkan- has been compared with Sanskrit válgati "(s/he) leaps, bounds, (it) surges," and, more remotely, Latvian val͂gs "rope." However, as pointed out by G. Kroonen (Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Brill, 2013), there is a parallel verb *walgōn- evident in Middle Dutch walghen (in mi walghet "I feel nauseous"), Middle Low German walgen "to wrestle, strive," Old High German walgōn "to roll." If this etymon goes back to Indo-European *u̯olg^h-, it cannot be related to the Sanskrit verb. Both *walkan- and *walgōn- have been seen as representing root extensions of Indo-European *u̯el- "roll"; see welter entry 1.