Question of the Day #113

"Trump Walks Back Threat to Defund Black Colleges"
From the headline of this article at the New York Times.

上記の文で、walk backの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "walk back" mean?

答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

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解答

意味：
英辞郎に適訳がないので、Merriam-Websterによるとwalk backの意味は、


（以前述べた意見や立場から）退くまたは取り消す

ということなので、問題の見出しの場合は、「取り消す」が適訳でしょう。
同じような意味の単語が、backpedal。例えば、問題の見出しを書き直したら、Trump Backpedals from Threat to Defund Black Collegesになります。

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

to retreat from or distance oneself from (a previously stated opinion or position)

Etymology/語源

Lex Maniacによると、

LexisNexisで発見した最も古い例が1980年代半ばからである。

According to Lex Maniac:

The earliest instances I found in LexisNexis date from the mid-1980’s,

Examples

• … try not to say anything in the primary campaign that you might need to walk back in the general election. — 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
• ‘senior members of the administration tried to walk back her comments’
• This week, he was forced to walk back those comments in Washington.
• Though Himmelman gave Bradlee multiple chances during his research,the famed editor did not walk back his comment.