swallow one's words

verb

To be forced to retract a prior statement after it has been shown to be disproven; to take back what one has said.

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Meanings

verbswallow one's words (third-person singular simple present swallows one's words, present participle swallowing one's words, simple past and past participle swallowed one's words)

present singular third person swallows one's words · participle present swallowing one's words · participle past swallowed one's words · past swallowed one's words

  1. To be forced to retract a prior statement after it has been shown to be disproven; to take back what one has said.
  2. To speak at a low volume due to uncertainty about one's speech; to mumble.

Translations

Italian rimangiarsi quel che s'è detto, mangiarsi le parole
  • rimangiarsi quel che s'è dettoto be forced to retract a prior statement
  • mangiarsi le paroleto mumble
Cite this entry
APA

swallow one's words. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/swallow%20one's%20words

MLA

“swallow one's words.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/swallow%20one's%20words. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “swallow one's words,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/swallow%20one's%20words.

Source: swallow one's words on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.