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
Shortly after it was issued, OMB walked back the memo amid widespread chaos and confusion over what funds were at risk, but White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said only the memo was rescinded, and the freeze itself would remain in force.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2025
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters Global tensions around trade remain high Wednesday, with investors and business leaders looking for signs that politicians may walk back some of their recent actions.
—Spencer Kimball,kevin Breuninger,jesse Pound, CNBC, 5 Mar. 2025
Yet the administration seemed to walk back some of that rhetoric on Wednesday.
—Andrea Riquier, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2025
Johnson quickly walked back the comments amid backlash from a Republican lawmaker supportive of the law whom the speaker was campaigning for.
—Ramsey Touchberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for walk back
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Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2025
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters Global tensions around trade remain high Wednesday, with investors and business leaders looking for signs that politicians may walk back some of their recent actions.
—Spencer Kimball,kevin Breuninger,jesse Pound, CNBC, 5 Mar. 2025
Yet the administration seemed to walk back some of that rhetoric on Wednesday.
—Andrea Riquier, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2025
Johnson quickly walked back the comments amid backlash from a Republican lawmaker supportive of the law whom the speaker was campaigning for.
—Ramsey Touchberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for walk back
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Cite this Entry
“Walk back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/walk%20back. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.
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