Meaning of walk back the cat | Babel Free

Definitions

1. To retrace events so as to determine where an operation went wrong and who was responsible.
2. To back down; to adopt a position where one is more willing to compromise.

Examples

“Bernhard had been called back to headquarters for a conference, a general review⟳ of current operations with special attention to methods and sources, connecting dots while they walked back the cat, a dispirited and dispiriting exercise.”

CEFR level