swallow one's words Idiom
eat one's words|eat|swallow one's words|word|words
v. phr. To take back something you have said; admit something is not true.
John had called Harry a coward, but the boys made him eat his words after Harry bravely fought a big bully. Compare: EAT CROW.
swallow one's words|swallow|word|words
1. To speak unclearly; fail to put enough breath into your words.
Phyllis was hard to understand because she swallowed her words. 2. See: EAT ONE'S WORDS.
swallow one's words
swallow one's words Take back what one said, as in
If they win I'll have to swallow my words. George Farquhar used this idiom in
The Inconstant (1702): “I have swallowed my words already; I have eaten them up.” For a synonym, see
eat one's words.
swallow (one's) words
To abjure or abolish article one has said. He'll be burning his words already I appearance him the sales abstracts for this quarter. I knew I had to absorb my words aback she exhausted me in that bold of chess.Learn more: swallow, wordswallow one's words
Take aback what one said, as in If they win I'll accept to absorb my words. George Farquhar acclimated this argot in The Inconstant (1702): "I accept swallowed my words already; I accept eaten them up." For a synonym, see eat one's words. Learn more: swallow, word