unsay

verb

un·​say ˌən-ˈsā How to pronounce unsay (audio)
 Southern also  -ˈse
unsaid ˌən-ˈsed How to pronounce unsay (audio) ; unsaying ˌən-ˈsā-iŋ How to pronounce unsay (audio)

transitive verb

: to make as if not said : recant, retract

Examples of unsay in a Sentence

the witness tried to unsay the very testimony that he had given a few days earlier
Recent Examples on the Web In it, the stand-up comedian and recent Emmy winner presents essayistic histories of the subcultures that shaped him, drawing parallels, both said and unsaid, between six seemingly disparate communities. Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 30 Jan. 2024 Left unsaid was that the Sharks were also 12-31-4 on the season before Tuesday’s game, 23 points back of a playoff spot. Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2024 But regardless of your sexuality, there are so many things unsaid with your parents. Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2024 The Web site evidently stopped short of outright prostitution: in a typical transaction, a man would make contact with one of the women on the site and negotiate a price—though what the price was for appears to have been left unsaid. Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024 Left unsaid was that Trump himself often cultivated that media frenzy, making the courtroom doorways and halls of lower Manhattan a marquee backdrop for a presidential campaign that's at times indistinguishable from, and always intertwined with, his many legal fights. Graham Kates, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2024 Left unsaid is the fact that Mason enslaved people on this plantation, exploiting their labor to build and care for his estate. Sue Eisenfeld, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Feb. 2024 Even with people who deeply care for each other over an extended period of time, conflict can spark from things that are being left unsaid. Tarot Astrologers, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2024 Cooper finds great narrative power in what’s left unsaid. Rich Juzwiak, TIME, 20 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unsay.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unsay was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near unsay

Cite this Entry

“Unsay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsay. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

unsay

verb
un·​say ˌən-ˈsā How to pronounce unsay (audio)
ˈən-
unsaid -ˈsed How to pronounce unsay (audio) ; unsaying -ˈsā-iŋ How to pronounce unsay (audio)
: to take back something said : retract
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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