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 White House walked back the statement last week and said Bondi was referring to the documents in their entirety.
—Sara Dorn, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
One 29-year-old woman, about 5 foot 6 and 114 pounds, walked back and forth on the path while taking photos.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 July 2025
Before meeting up with Wendy, Jess imagines herself walking back through her apartment with Zev, leaving the place in peace rather than in chaotic destruction.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 11 July 2025
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the federal agency signaled that the decision would not be walked back.
—Isabel Van Brugen, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for walk back
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Sara Dorn, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
One 29-year-old woman, about 5 foot 6 and 114 pounds, walked back and forth on the path while taking photos.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 July 2025
Before meeting up with Wendy, Jess imagines herself walking back through her apartment with Zev, leaving the place in peace rather than in chaotic destruction.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 11 July 2025
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the federal agency signaled that the decision would not be walked back.
—Isabel Van Brugen, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 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 19 Jul. 2025.
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