walk

1 of 2

verb

walked; walking; walks

intransitive verb

1
a
: to move along on foot : advance by steps
b
: to come or go easily or readily
c
: to go at a walk
d
: to go on foot for exercise or pleasure
2
baseball : to advance to first base by taking four pitches that are balls (see ball entry 1 sense 4a) : to go to first base as a result of a base on balls
3
: to avoid criminal prosecution or conviction
walked on a technicality
4
a
: walk out
walked over problems with management
b
: to pursue a course of action or way of life : conduct oneself : behave
walk warily
c
: to be or act in association : continue in union
the British and American peoples will … walk together side by side … in peaceSir Winston Churchill
5
of an astronaut : to move about in space outside a spacecraft
6
of an inanimate object
a
: to move in a manner that is suggestive of walking
b
: to stand with an appearance suggestive of strides
pylons walking across the valley
7
a
of a spirit : to move about in visible form : appear
b
of a ship : to make headway
c
obsolete : roam, wander

transitive verb

1
a
: to cause (an animal) to go at a walk : take for a walk
walking a dog
b(1)
: to cause to move by walking
walked her bicycle up the hill
(2)
: to haul (something, such as an anchor) by walking round the capstan
2
a
: to accompany on foot : walk with
walked her home
b
: to compel to walk (as by a command)
c
: to bring to a specified condition by walking
walked us off our feet
3
: to follow on foot for the purpose of measuring, surveying, or inspecting
walk a boundary
4
: to move (an object) in a manner suggestive of walking
5
a
: to pass on foot or as if on foot through, along, over, or upon : traverse, perambulate
walk the streets
walk a tightrope
b
: to perform or accomplish by going on foot
walk guard
6
baseball : to cause (a batter) to advance to first base by pitching four balls : to give a base on balls to
7
: to perform (a dance) at a walking pace
walk a quadrille

walk

2 of 2

noun

plural walks
1
a
: an act or instance of going on foot especially for exercise or pleasure
go for a walk
took a long walk around the neighborhood
see also take a walk
2
: a place designed for walking:
a(1)
: a path specially arranged or paved for walking
(2)
b
: a public avenue for promenading : promenade
c
: a railed platform above the roof of a dwelling house
d
3
: distance to be walked
a quarter mile walk from here
4
: an accustomed place of walking : haunt
5
: a place or area of land in which animals feed and exercise with minimal restraint
6
baseball : an advance to first base awarded to a baseball player who during a turn at bat takes four pitches that are balls (see ball entry 1 sense 4a) : base on balls
7
: characteristic manner of walking
his walk is just like his father's
8
British : a ceremonial procession
9
a
: a low rate of speed
the shortage of raw materials slowed production to a walk
b
: the gait of a biped in which the feet are lifted alternately with one foot not clear of the ground before the other touches
c
: the gait of a quadruped in which there are always at least two feet on the ground
specifically : a 4-beat gait of a horse in which the feet strike the ground in the sequence near hind, near fore, off hind, off fore
10
: a route regularly traversed by a person in the performance of a particular activity (such as patrolling, begging, or vending)
11
a
: social or economic status
all walks of life
b(1)
: range or sphere of action : field, province
(2)
12
: manner of living : conduct, behavior
13
: an easy victory
won in a walk
Phrases
walk away from
1
: to give up or leave behind willingly : abandon
2
: to survive (an accident) with little or no injury
3
: to outrun or get the better of without difficulty
walk off with
1
a
: to steal and take away
b
: to take over unexpectedly from someone else : steal sense 1d
walked off with the show
2
: to win or gain especially by outdoing one's competitors without difficulty
walk on
: to take advantage of : abuse
walk on eggshells or walk on eggs
: to exercise extreme caution
walk over
: to treat contemptuously
walk the plank
1
: to walk under compulsion over the side of a ship into the sea
2
: to resign an office or position under compulsion
walk through
1
: to go through (a theatrical role, a familiar activity, etc.) perfunctorily (as in an early stage of rehearsal)
2
: to guide (someone, such as a novice) through an unfamiliar or complex procedure step-by-step
3
: to deal with or carry out perfunctorily
walk in the park
: an easy or pleasurable experience

Examples of walk in a Sentence

Verb Is your grandson walking yet? He walks home from school every day. It's not far; you can walk there in five minutes. It was a while after the accident before she could walk again. He walked away without saying goodbye! She turned and walked away from him. The driver walked away from the accident unharmed. They walk around the neighborhood every morning for exercise. We walked around the city all day seeing the sights. He walked to the store. Noun The cliff walk along the ocean is very popular. Many exotic plants can be found along the walk.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
After a Kansas House Committee unanimously approved GOP leadership’s latest tax plan Thursday, an aide to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly walked up behind Republican Rep. Adam Smith, the committee chairman, and patted him on the back. Katie Bernard, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2024 She was found 22 days later on Thanksgiving walking on a Yolo County road and partially bound with a chain, with bruises, a brand burned into one arm and her hair cut short. Sam Stanton, Sacramento Bee, 25 Mar. 2024 The influencers film themselves walking around stores and filling their carts with clothing, makeup, cute little bowls for your ramen noodles and, of course, Stanley cups. Brianna Scott, NPR, 25 Mar. 2024 The ultra-lightweight shoe has a streamlined shape and the brand's highest cushion level that’s specifically designed for walking and running on roads. Ali Faccenda, Travel + Leisure, 25 Mar. 2024 While walking the red carpet for the 2017 SAG Awards, Spencer and Emma told Entertainment Weekly that their favorite movie to watch as a family was the 1979 Steve Martin comedy The Jerk. Emily Blackwood, Peoplemag, 24 Mar. 2024 Crews from the Yurok Tribe have been walking in the mud and scattering the seeds of native plants, including grasses, shrubs and trees. Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2024 Researchers analyzed airport maps and Google Maps to determine the walking distance in each terminal to the nearest and farthest gates. Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2024 After Dubrovka, critics wondered out loud how on earth a van load of armed gunmen in fatigues could have simply driven up to a major theatre in Moscow and walked in? Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024
Noun
The dog also joins Jeanette on leisurely walks outside. Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 13 Mar. 2024 Run/walk, after party with music, food and a free beer for ages 21-up. Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 13 Mar. 2024 Steve Granitz Chris Evans and Alba Baptista were first linked in November 2022 when they were spotted holding hands during a walk in Central Park. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 11 Mar. 2024 Anthropologie The Somerset Mini Dress Buy on Anthropologie $140 This gorgeous denim midi dress from Anthropologie can work for everything from office days to happy hour drinks to walks in the park. Rachel Simon, Southern Living, 9 Mar. 2024 Over 52 innings in 26 appearances for Miami last season, Soriano pitched to a 3.81 ERA with 52 strikeouts against 23 walks and a .234 batting average against. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 Sarah Ferguson wore a bold blue blazer in London, and Ryan Reynolds sported warm winter clothing on a neighborhood walk. Alexandra Schonfeld, Peoplemag, 2 Mar. 2024 Ziehl allowed four runs — three earned — on six hits and a walk in six innings. Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald, 2 Mar. 2024 Jackson Klein threw his second straight no-hitter with 13 strikeouts and no walks. Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English walken "to roll, toss about (of the sea, waves), wander, journey, go, go on foot, stroll, move about on earth (of a dead person's spirit), be in motion, circulate, be present, live," going back to Old English wealcan (strong verb) and wealcian (weak verb) "to toss about, work with the hands, turn over (in the mind), (of waves or the sea) to roll, surge," going back to Germanic *walkan- (whence also Middle Dutch walken "to knead, full [cloth]," Old High German giwalchen "fulled, thickened," as weak verbs Old Icelandic válka "to roll, stamp," velkja "to toss about"), of uncertain origin

Note: The Middle English verb experienced a remarkable degree of semantic diversification not paralleled in other Germanic languages, taking it far from its Old English sources, and leading to the usual modern meaning "to go by foot"; see detailed discussion of forms and meanings in Oxford English Dictionary, third edition. — The Germanic verb *walkan- has been compared with Sanskrit válgati "(s/he) leaps, bounds, (it) surges," and, more remotely, Latvian val͂gs "rope." However, as pointed out by G. Kroonen (Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Brill, 2013), there is a parallel verb *walgōn- evident in Middle Dutch walghen (in mi walghet "I feel nauseous"), Middle Low German walgen "to wrestle, strive," Old High German walgōn "to roll." If this etymon goes back to Indo-European *u̯olgh-, it cannot be related to the Sanskrit verb. Both *walkan- and *walgōn- have been seen as representing root extensions of Indo-European *u̯el- "roll"; see welter entry 1.

Noun

Middle English walk, walke, noun derivative of walken "to journey, walk entry 1"

First Known Use

Verb

12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 7c

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of walk was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near walk

Cite this Entry

“Walk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/walk. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

walk

1 of 2 verb
1
: to move or cause to move along on foot at a natural slow gait
walk to town
walk a horse up a hill
2
: to pass over, through, or along by walking
walk the streets
3
: to perform or accomplish by walking
walk guard
4
: to take or cause to take first base with a base on balls

walk

2 of 2 noun
1
: a going on foot
go for a walk
2
: a place, path, or course for walking
3
: distance to be walked
it's a long walk
4
a
: manner of living : conduct, behavior
b
: social or economic status
various walks of life
5
a
: manner of walking
b
: a way of moving by a four-footed animal in which there are always at least two feet on the ground
especially : a slow way of moving by a horse in which the feet strike the ground in the sequence of left hind foot, left front foot, right hind foot, right front foot
6

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