as in revoked
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in withdrew
to solemnly or formally reject or go back on (as something formerly adhered to)
the newspaper was forced to retract the story, which turned out to be based on fabricated reporting
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of retracted
Dr. Debra Houry, Time, 5 Dec. 2025
Here’s how the situation unfolded and why the since-retracted comment was so controversial.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
Nonetheless, the global ACV market is now valued at more than US$1 billion (2023-2024) and continues to grow – something that one retracted study is unlikely to impact.
—New Atlas, 24 Sep. 2025
In 2021, Sala's work came under scrutiny for a retracted study that used flawed data.
—Elisabeth Brier, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
In 1998, former physician Andrew Wakefield and his colleagues published a since-retracted paper claiming that the MMR vaccine could cause autism in children.
—Dominik Stecuła, The Conversation, 17 Sep. 2025
The threat of retracted benefits, too, is a sticking point.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Munis Raza, Interesting Engineering, 13 Mar. 2026
Other detractors have included Juliette Binoche, Andrea Bocelli and Doja Cat — though Doja Cat later retracted her comments and admitted to using the controversy to get attention.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
The company applied for a city operating permit in September 2025, which was approved in November before being retracted when questions from residents revealed the city’s error on the land use rules.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Mar. 2026
This post and story should be immediately retracted by ABC News for providing false information to intentionally alarm the American people.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 12 Mar. 2026
The results of one such trial, published in the European Journal of Pediatrics, were retracted in January after the authors identified several errors in their data.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 10 Mar. 2026
Results from a handful of studies were middling — and then the largest study demonstrating its efficacy was retracted in January.
—O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 10 Mar. 2026
The largest study of the medication included only 77 children and was retracted in January because of errors in its data analysis.
—Sara Novak, Scientific American, 5 Mar. 2026
But confidence in some of the historical safety literature was shaken recently when a review paper published in 2000 that had long been cited as evidence of glyphosate’s safety was formally retracted by the journal Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology.
—Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
The three presenters on the hepatitis B vaccine were not vaccine scientists, and two had authored a retracted paper about autism.
—Dr. Debra Houry, Time, 5 Dec. 2025
Here’s how the situation unfolded and why the since-retracted comment was so controversial.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
Nonetheless, the global ACV market is now valued at more than US$1 billion (2023-2024) and continues to grow – something that one retracted study is unlikely to impact.
—New Atlas, 24 Sep. 2025
In 2021, Sala's work came under scrutiny for a retracted study that used flawed data.
—Elisabeth Brier, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
In 1998, former physician Andrew Wakefield and his colleagues published a since-retracted paper claiming that the MMR vaccine could cause autism in children.
—Dominik Stecuła, The Conversation, 17 Sep. 2025
The threat of retracted benefits, too, is a sticking point.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Verb
This time, the team started the excavator’s engine, retracted its boom to shift the weight, and tried lifting again.
—Munis Raza, Interesting Engineering, 13 Mar. 2026
Other detractors have included Juliette Binoche, Andrea Bocelli and Doja Cat — though Doja Cat later retracted her comments and admitted to using the controversy to get attention.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
The company applied for a city operating permit in September 2025, which was approved in November before being retracted when questions from residents revealed the city’s error on the land use rules.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Mar. 2026
This post and story should be immediately retracted by ABC News for providing false information to intentionally alarm the American people.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 12 Mar. 2026
The results of one such trial, published in the European Journal of Pediatrics, were retracted in January after the authors identified several errors in their data.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 10 Mar. 2026
Results from a handful of studies were middling — and then the largest study demonstrating its efficacy was retracted in January.
—O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 10 Mar. 2026
The largest study of the medication included only 77 children and was retracted in January because of errors in its data analysis.
—Sara Novak, Scientific American, 5 Mar. 2026
But confidence in some of the historical safety literature was shaken recently when a review paper published in 2000 that had long been cited as evidence of glyphosate’s safety was formally retracted by the journal Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology.
—Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 2 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retracted
Verb
-
Actor Issa Rae and author Louise Penny also withdrew from appearances while consultants such as musician Ben Folds and singer Renée Fleming resigned.—
Steven Sloan,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
-
After the embassy contacted families, about two-thirds of the students — roughly 250 children, including around 100 Americans — withdrew from the school and returned to their home countries, according to parents and a person familiar with the investigation.—
Mark Banchereau,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The withheld funding supports election monitoring, independent media and other pro-democracy programs abroad.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The State Department did not provide numbers for the total number of Americans who have renounced their citizenship.—
Matthew Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Mar. 2026
-
The State Department did not provide numbers for the total number of Americans who have renounced their citizenship.—
Matthew Lee,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
General Manager Ken Holland hinted at potentially being done after trading center Phillip Danault for a draft pick in December and acquiring Panarin at a suppressed price in February, though he has been known to under-promise often and, sometimes, over-deliver.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Supervising sound editor Alastair Sirkett told IndieWire that Peter Claffey’s big, former-rugby-player frame really helps that moment sing with suppressed panic.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The drones must use GPS but also function when signals are denied.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Takaichi and her ministers have denied that Washington officially requested Japanese warships sent to the Strait of Hormuz.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The two who confessed – and later recanted – were convicted of capital murder and remained in prison until DNA evidence proving their innocence led to their release in 2009, prosecutors said.—
Jean Casarez,
CNN Money,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The lawsuit focused on how the video contradicted the police version of what happened inside Turner’s apartment after his girlfriend called 911 for medical help.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Investigators said the footage contradicted her statements and showed both participating in the thefts.—
Skyler Shepard,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Watch it for its skin-deep enticement, its powerful visual devices, but also its concealed malignancy.—
Sally Jenkins,
The Atlantic,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Retracted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retracted. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
