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
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Recent Examples of taking back
Seconds after taking back the lead, the Revolution conceded an attacking free kick and failed to clear the ensuing delivery.
—
Julian Cardillo, Boston Herald, 18 Oct. 2025
As Markovic corrected himself, taking back the goal, the cameras cut to the Panthers' head coach Paul Maurice, who was visibly perplexed at the scenario as Devils fans cheered in the background.
—Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025
The National Council sued for an emergency stay this summer to prevent the New Jersey council from taking back operations, arguing that the local group doesn’t have the resources to staff or operate the hotline around the clock.
—Contessa Brewer, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2025
Whatever happens next, there is no taking back the decision to pull Kimmel’s show, for any length of time, in response to a coordinated, deliberate attack on him and ABC by Carr and right-wing influencers and podcasters.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025
Julian Cardillo, Boston Herald, 18 Oct. 2025
As Markovic corrected himself, taking back the goal, the cameras cut to the Panthers' head coach Paul Maurice, who was visibly perplexed at the scenario as Devils fans cheered in the background.
—Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025
The National Council sued for an emergency stay this summer to prevent the New Jersey council from taking back operations, arguing that the local group doesn’t have the resources to staff or operate the hotline around the clock.
—Contessa Brewer, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2025
Whatever happens next, there is no taking back the decision to pull Kimmel’s show, for any length of time, in response to a coordinated, deliberate attack on him and ABC by Carr and right-wing influencers and podcasters.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taking back
Verb
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Ciattarelli called it an affordability crisis and has called for withdrawing from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, an agreement among Northeast states to cap their emissions.—
Ryan Mancini,
The Hill,
4 Nov. 2025
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Elsewhere in the league, Virginia Tech’s Neoklis Avdalas declared for the draft last year out of Greece before withdrawing.—
Sam Vecenie,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The peer filed a complaint against him before retracting it.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
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Moreover, the patches of skin behind the upper arms and on the trunk reveal that the reptile had powerful muscles for retracting its forelimbs.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The revelations about the emails led to both Andrew and Sarah renouncing their Duke and Duchess of York titles in the past two weeks.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
28 Oct. 2025
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Tallis continued to have a successful career after the Reformation, despite never renouncing his Catholic faith.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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However, Trump does not have the endorsement of Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), who has repeatedly expressed his opposition to repealing the filibuster.—
Naomi Lim,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Nov. 2025
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But this summer, via special election, voters overwhelmingly supported repealing the review board and limited the city’s ability to outsource library services.—
CalMatters,
Mercury News,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Indonesian government cited security and safety concerns for denying the visas, but an Israel Gymnastics Federation (IGF) spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital that the country's security team gave clearance to its athletes.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
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The township's planning commission voted in late September to recommend denying rezoning for the project, which still must go before the county planning commission and township board.—
Keith Matheny,
Freep.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Rusev pointed to his own match history in AEW as evidence contradicting the rumors.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
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Their findings suggest that broader protection against elapid snakebites using fewer ingredients is on the horizon, contradicting the popular theory that the best antivenoms require large (and costly) amounts of antibodies.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Taking back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taking%20back. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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