as in withdrawing
to solemnly or formally reject or go back on (as something formerly adhered to)
I take back what I said about her: she's not the fool I thought she was
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 taking back
Monday's trading was a reminder that geopolitical conflicts have a limited impact on the stock market , pricing in the worst-case scenario early before taking back that risk.
—
Sarah Min, CNBC, 2 Mar. 2026
Dallas would neuter Finland by taking back Mikko Rantanen, Miro Heiskanen, Roope Hintz and Esa Lindell, plus Jake Oettinger in net.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 23 Feb. 2026
The Chapter 11 filing and Saks’ bankruptcy stay shouldn’t prevent the landlord from taking back the two locations because the leases were terminated shortly before the retailer sought court protection, Simon said.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
With that in mind, Democrats should still be optimistic about taking back the House, even short of a landslide.
—Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
Steven Spielberg is taking back his crown as the king of the summer blockbuster.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 8 Feb. 2026
Decades later, Shields is taking back control of her narrative in the form of a two-part documentary series.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Feb. 2026
The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war, and Kaine said the resolution would show Congress taking back its inherent authority from the President.
—Brian Bennett, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
Willingly taking back an inefficient contract from a contender, even if that contract has term involved, is just a more extreme application of this basic logic.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Sarah Min, CNBC, 2 Mar. 2026
Dallas would neuter Finland by taking back Mikko Rantanen, Miro Heiskanen, Roope Hintz and Esa Lindell, plus Jake Oettinger in net.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 23 Feb. 2026
The Chapter 11 filing and Saks’ bankruptcy stay shouldn’t prevent the landlord from taking back the two locations because the leases were terminated shortly before the retailer sought court protection, Simon said.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
With that in mind, Democrats should still be optimistic about taking back the House, even short of a landslide.
—Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
Steven Spielberg is taking back his crown as the king of the summer blockbuster.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 8 Feb. 2026
Decades later, Shields is taking back control of her narrative in the form of a two-part documentary series.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Feb. 2026
The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war, and Kaine said the resolution would show Congress taking back its inherent authority from the President.
—Brian Bennett, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
Willingly taking back an inefficient contract from a contender, even if that contract has term involved, is just a more extreme application of this basic logic.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taking back
Verb
-
Arguing that having a public apology circulating online would be unfair to their client, his attorneys instead handed Rose a paper note containing the apology before quickly withdrawing it.—
Andrew Lapin,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Mar. 2026
-
And naive, especially after the Soviet Union spent a decade fighting in Afghanistan to put communist allies in charge, before withdrawing its troops in 1989 amid failure.—
Jill Lawrence,
Mercury News,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Her delicate proto-shell dangles below, her tiny sails and blossoming eyes retracting at the scent of predators.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Feb. 2026
-
With retracting landing gear and a striking look, too, this set is ideal for young ones with plenty of imagination.—
Alexander Cox,
Space.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This all comes after reports that Andrew is considering renouncing his spot in the line of succession in order to avoid jail time.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Its roots are in publicly paying penance for serious sins or crimes in the eyes of the church, like adultery or apostasy, which means renouncing the church and its beliefs.—
Lianna Norman,
Florida Times-Union,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Johnson, of the American Cancer Society, pushed back on arguments that repealing the program would save the state money.—
Sarah Cutler,
Idaho Statesman,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The measure appears likely to appear on the ballot because the sponsors, the Lincoln Club Business League, plan to rely on the much lower threshold required under state law for measures repealing taxes and fees.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
There’s no denying that the bob remains the haircut of the moment.—
Fiona Embleton,
Glamour,
6 Mar. 2026
-
There is, however, no denying certain gains.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
New details in an ICE statement appear aimed at contradicting mounting criticism about his care while in ICE custody.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Barack Obama’s administration detained unaccompanied children and families despite humanitarian rhetoric, contradicting Clinton’s assertion that children were not placed in detention camps.—
Fidel Martinez,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Taking back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taking%20back. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
