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
Walking into our water tanks was like walking back in time.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 20 May 2024
Privately, people around James began to walk back those desires, trying to unbundle his future from his son’s.
—Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for walk back 
Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 20 May 2024
Privately, people around James began to walk back those desires, trying to unbundle his future from his son’s.
—Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for walk back
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 2 Jun. 2024.
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