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
But with the Lightning taking back home-ice advantage with this win and the series shifting back to Tampa, where Cooper will have full control of the matchup, the task becomes that much more difficult for the Suzuki line.
—
Arpon Basu, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
An opposition party taking back control of the government would likely see the abandonment of a warming of relations with Israel and the West more broadly.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 25 Apr. 2026
San Francisco has won five of its last seven games overall, taking back-to-back series for the first time under rookie manager Tony Vitello.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026
The clock is ticking on November’s midterm elections, and Democrats’ chances of taking back the Senate are improving.
—The Conversation, 22 Apr. 2026
The funds were reportedly credited to the account and later withdrawn; however, the bank reversed the transaction after determining the check was fraudulent, taking back the museum’s money.
—Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
All that has raised the hopes of Democrats about taking back both the House AND the Senate this year.
—Nancy Cook, Bloomberg, 7 Apr. 2026
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
Arpon Basu, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
An opposition party taking back control of the government would likely see the abandonment of a warming of relations with Israel and the West more broadly.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 25 Apr. 2026
San Francisco has won five of its last seven games overall, taking back-to-back series for the first time under rookie manager Tony Vitello.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026
The clock is ticking on November’s midterm elections, and Democrats’ chances of taking back the Senate are improving.
—The Conversation, 22 Apr. 2026
The funds were reportedly credited to the account and later withdrawn; however, the bank reversed the transaction after determining the check was fraudulent, taking back the museum’s money.
—Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
All that has raised the hopes of Democrats about taking back both the House AND the Senate this year.
—Nancy Cook, Bloomberg, 7 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taking back
Verb
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The Cabinet discussed—and George III supported—withdrawing from the coastal colonies entirely in favor of the Caribbean.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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Two top Republican lawmakers expressed concern about the Pentagon withdrawing 5,000 troops from Germany.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Swelling around your eyes may suggest an underactive thyroid, while retracting eyelids may signal an overactive thyroid.—
Brandi Jones,
Health,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Self-retracting nozzles are the most hygienic.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The program calls for the recognition of Israel and renouncing armed struggle, effectively sidelining Hamas and other factions.—
SAM METZ,
Arkansas Online,
26 Apr. 2026
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The program calls for the recognition of Israel and renouncing armed struggle, effectively sidelining Hamas and other factions.—
Sam Metz,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Social Security Administration’s actuaries have found repealing the retirement earnings test will ultimately reduce trust fund costs, Adcock said.—
Lorie Konish,
CNBC,
27 Apr. 2026
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That showed again how poorly the Legislature served the voters by repealing Florida’s runoff primary 21 years ago.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In Uthmeier’s mind, the world is unfairly denying white men careers as head coaches and coffeehouse baristas.—
Scott Maxwell,
Sun Sentinel,
9 May 2026
-
In effectively denying the zoning measures sought by the county, the planning board on Wednesday reversed course on a previous 2018 approval by the same body, though with some different members, of essentially the same county plan.—
Andres Viglucci,
Miami Herald,
8 May 2026
Verb
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While this might not be too surprising to many, 36 is the average age of players today — contradicting the common stereotype of a medium dominated by kids, tweens and young teens.—
Marc Saltzman,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
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Instead of contradicting Austen’s depictions, the series adds context and interiority, giving Mary a growth arc that highlights her similarities to the author’s archetypal heroines.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Taking back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taking%20back. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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