unsay

American

[uhn-sey] / ʌnˈseɪ /

verb (used with object)

unsaid, unsaying

to withdraw (something said), as if it had never been said; retract.

unsay British

/ ʌnˈseɪ /

verb

(tr) to retract or withdraw (something said or written)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of unsay

First recorded in 1425–75, unsay is from the late Middle English word unsayen. See un- ², say ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But as soon as I said it, I couldn't unsay it.

From Salon • Apr. 14, 2023

Yet he can’t unsay what was said on the audio tape.

From Washington Times • Jun. 13, 2018

This is the reality-TV kind of reality where, in post-production, you can unsay anything.

From Washington Post • May 4, 2018

And then they unsay it, and they keep unsaying it, breaking their own rules over and over again.

From The Guardian • May 13, 2017

He wanted to unsay all the things he had said about her—even unsay the things Leslie had said.

From "Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Paterson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023