as in recapturing
to get again in one's possession
after some fierce fighting, government forces have retaken the capital
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Recent Examples of retaking
National Democratic fundraising committees haven’t seriously invested in Florida races in recent years, but Democrats have a difficult path to retaking the Senate this year that could lead to more attention on Florida.
—
Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 29 Jan. 2026
Trump’s approval rating on immigration has slipped since retaking office as Democratic lawmakers push to restrict ICE operations and demand limits on enforcement tactics.
—Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
Substitute Shea Lacey rattled the Burnley crossbar in the final 10 minutes, but that was as close as United came to retaking the lead.
—Chris McKenna, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
And of course, there’s Taiwan, where even a slightly softer US line would move Xi closer to retaking the island.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 5 Jan. 2026
Nathan MacKinnon had an empty-net goal and four points, retaking the league lead from Connor McDavid with 74.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 4 Jan. 2026
The Ravens would respond with another touchdown of their own after a quick drive that ended with Jackson hitting Flowers for a 64-yard bomb, retaking the lead, 24-20.
—Garrett Behanna, CBS News, 4 Jan. 2026
But retaking the top spot in its third week of release was Disney’s Zootopia 2.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 16 Dec. 2025
Trump, in one of his first acts after retaking the White House in January, pardoned the vast majority of them.
—Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 4 Dec. 2025
Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 29 Jan. 2026
Trump’s approval rating on immigration has slipped since retaking office as Democratic lawmakers push to restrict ICE operations and demand limits on enforcement tactics.
—Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
Substitute Shea Lacey rattled the Burnley crossbar in the final 10 minutes, but that was as close as United came to retaking the lead.
—Chris McKenna, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
And of course, there’s Taiwan, where even a slightly softer US line would move Xi closer to retaking the island.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 5 Jan. 2026
Nathan MacKinnon had an empty-net goal and four points, retaking the league lead from Connor McDavid with 74.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 4 Jan. 2026
The Ravens would respond with another touchdown of their own after a quick drive that ended with Jackson hitting Flowers for a 64-yard bomb, retaking the lead, 24-20.
—Garrett Behanna, CBS News, 4 Jan. 2026
But retaking the top spot in its third week of release was Disney’s Zootopia 2.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 16 Dec. 2025
Trump, in one of his first acts after retaking the White House in January, pardoned the vast majority of them.
—Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 4 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retaking
Verb
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That includes 15 Democrats, who are leaving despite their party’s increasing odds of recapturing the House next November.—
David M. Drucker,
Twin Cities,
6 Jan. 2026
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After recapturing Jerusalem’s holy temple, which had been defiled by the occupiers, the Maccabees searched for pure oil to light the menorah.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
1 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Indiana is preparing to work with private industry to determine the feasibility of retrieving rare earth elements from its legacy coal byproducts.—
Noël Fletcher,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Another agent, wearing a grey jacket, can be seen from some camera angles reaching into the scrum of other officers and retrieving a weapon that seems to match the firearm the DHS says Pretti possessed.—
Thomas Bordeaux,
CNN Money,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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For Shetty, that shift means reclaiming control over priorities that often get sidelined and passed on to other people.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
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The center display was made larger in part by reclaiming space formerly occupied by hard navigation buttons and relocating the volume dial to the trim just below it.—
Adam Ismail,
The Drive,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Retaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retaking. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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