as in retracts
to solemnly or formally reject or go back on (as something formerly adhered to)
the Inquisition forced Galileo to recant his support of the Copernican observation that the earth revolves around the sun
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recants
Verb
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The black softop retracts and returns tightly into place with a lever mechanism on the console.—
James Raia,
Mercury News,
28 Sep. 2025 -
Stowaways often get crushed when the landing gear retracts, as there’s not much room; in many aircraft, the space is even smaller than the trunk of a car.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The surgeon withdraws the balloon and then squeezes the implant in through a sterile funnel before closing the incision.—
Jolene Edgar,
Allure,
15 Oct. 2025
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An International Stabilization Force (ISF) is set to be deployed in Gaza once Israel withdraws, but key participating countries are already asking for clarity.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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She’s also supported revising Japan’s pacifist constitution, particularly Article 9, which renounces war and bans military forces.—
Hanako Montgomery,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Cuomo denies Bennett’s allegations.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
23 Oct. 2025
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Prince Andrew denies Virginia Giuffre relationship In 2011, Andrew quit his role as Britain's roving trade ambassador, partly because of his friendship with Epstein.—
Michael Holden,
USA Today,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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His position contradicts claims by a number of AI researchers at companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic that human-level AI is imminent.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
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This, however, contradicts Prince Harry’s own words about the subject of children.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
19 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Recants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recants. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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