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.

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

Galliano can’t unsay or undo the gross, offensive things that happened two years ago.

From Salon • Jan. 18, 2013

Afterward she always apologized, but she couldn’t unsay what she'd just said.

From "Maybe He Just Likes You" by Barbara Dee

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