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
In remarks to reporters on Tuesday, President Donald Trump walked back his previous statements about Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell that had fueled speculation about Powell's job security and contributed to a stock market downturn.
—Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Apr. 2025
People dressed in black silently walked back and forth to set down each coffin, some carrying them in pairs.
—Orion Rummler, Them., 18 Apr. 2025
Azealia Banks is walking back her support for Donald Trump.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 18 Apr. 2025
Analysts covering Apple are largely relieved after President Donald Trump’s latest walk back on U.S. tariff policies, which stands to directly benefit the iPhone maker alongside other domestic tech giants.
—Pia Singh, CNBC, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for walk back
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Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Apr. 2025
People dressed in black silently walked back and forth to set down each coffin, some carrying them in pairs.
—Orion Rummler, Them., 18 Apr. 2025
Azealia Banks is walking back her support for Donald Trump.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 18 Apr. 2025
Analysts covering Apple are largely relieved after President Donald Trump’s latest walk back on U.S. tariff policies, which stands to directly benefit the iPhone maker alongside other domestic tech giants.
—Pia Singh, CNBC, 14 Apr. 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 28 Apr. 2025.
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