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
Many visitors take the Metro to reach the Vatican Museums, then walk back into the city from there (or take a cab from St. Peter’s Square).
Buses and Metro, both run by ATAC, are also reliable ways to get around, though depending on the distance, walking may be faster.
—Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 18 May 2024
In a different clip, Combs walks back from the room to the hallway and lunges toward where Ventura was just seen.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY, 17 May 2024
The California governor referenced news stories alleging that Trump recently solicited campaign donations from oil executives and at the same event vowed to walk back climate protections if elected in the 2024 presidential contest.
—Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2024
Within months, the Beverly Hills city council walked back its rule.
—Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 13 May 2024
Musk, 52, has walked back impulsive cost-cutting measures before.
—Dana Hull, Fortune, 13 May 2024
As Fortson walked back through his living room, deputies burst through the door, saw that Fortson was armed and shot him six times, according to Crump's statement.
—CBS News, 8 May 2024
On the walk back from dinner, the group appeared to have been waiting for the team, Moyer reported, with the vehicles speeding up and slowing down while hurling slurs.
—Alexandra Duggan, Idaho Statesman, 7 May 2024
Following extensive player backlash, Sony has walked back its plans to require PC players of Helldivers 2 to link their Steam accounts with a PlayStation Network (PSN) account.
—Kate Irwin, PCMAG, 6 May 2024
Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 18 May 2024
In a different clip, Combs walks back from the room to the hallway and lunges toward where Ventura was just seen.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY, 17 May 2024
The California governor referenced news stories alleging that Trump recently solicited campaign donations from oil executives and at the same event vowed to walk back climate protections if elected in the 2024 presidential contest.
—Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2024
Within months, the Beverly Hills city council walked back its rule.
—Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 13 May 2024
Musk, 52, has walked back impulsive cost-cutting measures before.
—Dana Hull, Fortune, 13 May 2024
As Fortson walked back through his living room, deputies burst through the door, saw that Fortson was armed and shot him six times, according to Crump's statement.
—CBS News, 8 May 2024
On the walk back from dinner, the group appeared to have been waiting for the team, Moyer reported, with the vehicles speeding up and slowing down while hurling slurs.
—Alexandra Duggan, Idaho Statesman, 7 May 2024
Following extensive player backlash, Sony has walked back its plans to require PC players of Helldivers 2 to link their Steam accounts with a PlayStation Network (PSN) account.
—Kate Irwin, PCMAG, 6 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'walk back.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Walk back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/walk%20back. Accessed 23 May. 2024.
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