as in revoked
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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
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Recent Examples of retracted
Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 4 May 2026
The reading assignments prepared for the judges include a Substack post by a notable climate contrarian accusing the authors of the retracted climate chapter in the federal court’s reference manual of including material by Burger and hiding his authorship.
—Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, 2 May 2026
In a demo at CES 2026, Bluetooth SIG marketing VP Dave Hollander set an unlock distance on a phone across the room from a Bauer smart lock—then walked within 2 feet of the lock, leading its deadbolt to whir into the retracted position.
—Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 19 Mar. 2026
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
Phil Wahba, Fortune, 30 May 2026
As the bird's rescue team watched with anticipation, the aviary roof slowly retracted, prompting the owl to fly straight up into the sky.
—Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 25 May 2026
What the Research Shows While the research study on No Mow May was retracted, Shepherd notes that several other studies have underscored the value of lawn flowers in supporting a high diversity of bees.
—Anne Readel, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 May 2026
The report was retracted in a separate tweet, but that didn’t stop the internet, which never sleeps.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026
Although the chapter had been peer reviewed and approved by the Federal Judicial Center, as well as by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, the center retracted the climate chapter in February.
—Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, 2 May 2026
Lucas, known for making false confessions, later retracted his claim, and additional evidence ruled him out.
—Ryan Brennan
april 28, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Apr. 2026
But Lucas, known for making false confessions, later retracted his claim, and other evidence disproved his connection to the murder.
—CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
But Lucas, known for making false confessions, later retracted his claim, and other evidence disproved his connection to the murder.
—Jack Brook, ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
On April 22, 2026, Springer Nature posted a retracted article notice almost a year after initial publication.
—Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 4 May 2026
The reading assignments prepared for the judges include a Substack post by a notable climate contrarian accusing the authors of the retracted climate chapter in the federal court’s reference manual of including material by Burger and hiding his authorship.
—Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, 2 May 2026
In a demo at CES 2026, Bluetooth SIG marketing VP Dave Hollander set an unlock distance on a phone across the room from a Bauer smart lock—then walked within 2 feet of the lock, leading its deadbolt to whir into the retracted position.
—Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 19 Mar. 2026
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
Verb
But the flip side of love for a brand is hate and woe when customers feel betrayed—when the service falls short or a beloved perk is retracted.
—Phil Wahba, Fortune, 30 May 2026
As the bird's rescue team watched with anticipation, the aviary roof slowly retracted, prompting the owl to fly straight up into the sky.
—Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 25 May 2026
What the Research Shows While the research study on No Mow May was retracted, Shepherd notes that several other studies have underscored the value of lawn flowers in supporting a high diversity of bees.
—Anne Readel, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 May 2026
The report was retracted in a separate tweet, but that didn’t stop the internet, which never sleeps.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026
Although the chapter had been peer reviewed and approved by the Federal Judicial Center, as well as by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, the center retracted the climate chapter in February.
—Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, 2 May 2026
Lucas, known for making false confessions, later retracted his claim, and additional evidence ruled him out.
—Ryan Brennan
april 28, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Apr. 2026
But Lucas, known for making false confessions, later retracted his claim, and other evidence disproved his connection to the murder.
—CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
But Lucas, known for making false confessions, later retracted his claim, and other evidence disproved his connection to the murder.
—Jack Brook, ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retracted
Verb
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Less than a week later, the UA withdrew the offer.—
Ryan Anderson,
Arkansas Online,
29 May 2026
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Historians say the original Liberty Pole was erected as British forces withdrew from New York following their defeat in the Revolutionary War, a symbolic act meant to assert American independence and taunt departing troops.—
Hannah Kliger,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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The withheld funding supports election monitoring, independent media and other pro-democracy programs abroad.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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She’s since voted to block military aid to Israel and renounced the group.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
1 June 2026
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The former monarch renounced her title in January 2024 on the 52nd anniversary of her accession.—
Paloma Chavez,
PEOPLE,
20 May 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
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The governors, Alfonso Durazo of Sonora and Américo Villarreal Anaya of Tamaulipas, denied any wrongdoing and called accusations against them an attempt to undermine Mexican sovereignty.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
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Mullin denied the accusations, saying said his agency was not racist.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
Adjective
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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
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The observation contradicted the normal tendency of mixed materials to remain blended.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
3 June 2026
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Shortly after, Erika Christakis, associate head of one of Yale’s residential colleges, contradicted the email.—
Ingrid A. Nelson,
The Conversation,
29 May 2026
Adjective
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Kentucky lawmakers will likely let our columnist Joe Gerth down again by overriding the veto of a bill that would allow 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds to carry concealed guns.—
Ray Padilla,
Louisville Courier Journal,
10 Apr. 2026
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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 7 Jun. 2026.
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