ROLL BACK Synonyms: 110 Similar and Opposite Words

roll back 1 of 2

verb

Definition of roll back

as in to abolish

to put an end to by formal action lobbyists for the industry pressured the legislators to roll back the new automotive safety standards

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rollback

2 of 2

noun

as in reversal

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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 roll back

Verb

Some retailers, such as Walmart, have responded by rolling back food prices, a trend that could have lowered July’s inflation figures. — Christopher Rugaber, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026 Tiffany is proposing freezing property taxes, rolling back other tax increases and increasing energy production. — Garrett Downs, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2026

Noun

The department’s rollback of services comes at a time when health outcomes have ranked among the worst in Kansas and the country at-large. — Sofi Zeman august 13, Kansas City Star, 13 Aug. 2026 The rollback of paraquat is the first significant pesticide eradication effort in California since around 2019. — Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for roll back

Recent Examples of Synonyms for roll back

Verb

Japan has faced growing criticism over its use of the death penalty, as a majority of the international community has abolished capital punishment.

— CBS News, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
Calls to abolish capital punishment or increase transparency have grown after the 2024 acquittal of the world’s longest-serving death-row inmate, Iwao Hakamada.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of abolish

Noun

In a major reversal, Illinois regulators have proposed letting cannabis companies grow cannabis outdoors, a move that would significantly lower energy consumption and cultivation costs — though home growers would be out of luck.

— Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026
That reversal runs counter to the usual assumption that younger generations are more relaxed, more collaborative, and less judgmental about money than their parents were.

— Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of reversal

Verb

After public pushback, state legislators backtracked and repealed some of the requirements.

— Lauren Sommer, NPR, 17 Aug. 2026
If approved by voters, the top-two primary would be repealed and the system would revert to its prior version, insuring every qualified political party could have a candidate advance in the primary to the general election.

— Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of repeal

Noun

Public health has always depended on some surrender of individual privacy for collective benefit.

— Jennifer D. Oliva, The Conversation, 17 Aug. 2026
The goals have included complete Iranian surrender, regime change, Iran never getting a nuclear weapon and ending Tehran’s support for its Middle East proxy groups like Hezbollah.

— Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of surrender

Verb

Town leaders canceled their contract with Flock Safety, saying a legal review found the agreement violated state law.

— Tammy Mutasa, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
The franchise was canceled after a 2006 Texas operation in which Rockwall County assistant district attorney Louis Conradt died by suicide as authorities and the show’s crew closed in on his home.

— Clayton Davis, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of cancel

Noun

The idea of full abolition—beloved by both leaders but not part of the Reykjavik agenda—was an improvised moment, almost an accident, and not some premeditated masterstroke (as the movie implies) by Reagan.

— Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2026
The party’s divisions were even more apparent Thursday during a lengthy debate over a resolution calling for the formal abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

— Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of abolition

Noun

In North Carolina, a 2024 study examining state enforcement laws found that despite 93% of cases meeting the conditions for gun relinquishment, the policy was enforced in only 37% of cases.

— Sativa Banks, The Conversation, 4 June 2026
Benjamin qualified for the national bee by winning the San Diego County Scripps Regional Spelling Bee in March, correctly spelling kenosis, the relinquishment of divine attributes by Jesus Christ in becoming human, in the 23rd round.

— City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2026

Definition of relinquishment

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“Roll back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roll%20back. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of roll back

verb

noun

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