Synonyms

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

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

From Literature

But having said it, he spent the rest of the campaign unsaying it.

From Washington Post

I know that I cannot unsay those words, but please accept my sincerest apologies.”

From Washington Post

“I know that I cannot unsay the words, but please accept my apologies.”

From Fox News

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