rollback

1 of 2

noun

roll·​back ˈrōl-ˌbak 

: the act or an instance of rolling back

a government-ordered rollback of gasoline prices

roll back

2 of 2

verb

rolled back; rolling back; rolls back

transitive verb

1

: to reduce or decrease something

rolling back their mortgage rates

specifically : to reduce (something, such as a commodity price) to or toward a previous level on a national scale

2

: to cause to retreat or withdraw : push back

3

: rescind

attempted to roll back antipollution standards

Synonyms of rollback

Verb

• abolish
• repeal
• cancel
• set aside
• avoid
• strike down
• overturn

Examples of rollback in a Sentence

Noun

a government-ordered rollback of gasoline prices

a rollback in environmental regulations

a rollback of previous wage concessions

Verb

lobbyists for the industry pressured the legislators to roll back the new automotive safety standards

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Some Black shoppers, who felt alienated after Target’s 2025 DEI rollbacks, expressed fresh disappointment on Monday. — Reuters, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026

Getty Images Student loan borrower advocacy groups are raising alarms over the Education Department’s recent rollback of student loan forgiveness credit, warning that the efforts could trap borrowers in debt for additional months or years. — Adam S. Minsky, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Verb

Over the past three months, federal courts nationwide have delivered rulings in several cases centered on attempts by the Environmental Protection Agency to terminate billions of dollars in climate grants and roll back Biden-era air policies. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026

Local workforce development boards, which distribute these subsidies in different regions throughout Texas to eligible families, are being directed to gradually roll back the number of children being served starting this year. — Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1937, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1942, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for rollback

• aback
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• cognac
• comeback
• cutback