as in retracted
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 took back
Four years earlier, Lawler, a former state assemblyman, was elected when Republicans took back control of the House.
—
Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2026
Frost forwards Katy Knoll and Klára Hymlárová were moving toward the Sirens’ goal when both took back-to-back hits from New York players.
—Theodore Tollefson, Twin Cities, 11 Apr. 2026
On Thursday, the Supreme Court took back the case and set an accelerated schedule for the coming week, when prosecutors and defense attorneys can argue over whether to finish the analysis.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
Republicans took back the state House, ending the Democratic trifecta in Michigan and opening a door to more cash-for-jobs deal scrutiny.
—CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
Elsewhere in the season, Teti hinted that Paul took back at least one rose she’d already handed out.
—Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
As part of the agreement that included NFL Network shifting to ESPN, the league took back four games.
—Andrew Marchand, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Shares advanced in Asia on Thursday after a rebound on Wall Street, as South Korea’s Kospi took back much of its historic losses from a day earlier.
—ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
Against the odds, Ukraine managed to repel the initial Russian attack on Kyiv and, within a few months, took back large swaths of land originally seized by Moscow.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2026
Frost forwards Katy Knoll and Klára Hymlárová were moving toward the Sirens’ goal when both took back-to-back hits from New York players.
—Theodore Tollefson, Twin Cities, 11 Apr. 2026
On Thursday, the Supreme Court took back the case and set an accelerated schedule for the coming week, when prosecutors and defense attorneys can argue over whether to finish the analysis.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
Republicans took back the state House, ending the Democratic trifecta in Michigan and opening a door to more cash-for-jobs deal scrutiny.
—CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
Elsewhere in the season, Teti hinted that Paul took back at least one rose she’d already handed out.
—Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
As part of the agreement that included NFL Network shifting to ESPN, the league took back four games.
—Andrew Marchand, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Shares advanced in Asia on Thursday after a rebound on Wall Street, as South Korea’s Kospi took back much of its historic losses from a day earlier.
—ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
Against the odds, Ukraine managed to repel the initial Russian attack on Kyiv and, within a few months, took back large swaths of land originally seized by Moscow.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for took back
Verb
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Author Michael Wolff said last year that Epstein played a role in introducing the couple in a Daily Beast article that was later retracted.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
-
John Vahlenkamp, one of the editors who retracted the story, declined to comment on his investigation into Morganroth’s work or her tenure in Boulder.—
Sam Tabachnik,
Denver Post,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Hyo Joo Kim withdrew before the round after opening with a 68.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Recently, a developer withdrew a request to rezone a property for a potential data center campus due to a lack of support from Yorkville’s City Council, and the city’s mayor has since indicated future projects are unlikely to secure city approval going forward.—
Molly Morrow,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
President Ahmed al-Sharaa is a one-time al-Qaeda commander who renounced the ideology before taking power.—
Jane Arraf,
NPR,
11 Apr. 2026
-
If an ancestor renounced citizenship, rights to Canadian citizenship end there.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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If a parent applies for a Parent PLUS Loan and is denied, the student may automatically qualify for additional federal aid, up to $4,000 for underclassmen and $5,000 for upperclassmen.—
La'Tasha Givens,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
On April 9, he was denied bail.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Other research has contradicted Reich’s findings.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
15 Apr. 2026
-
But, as is often the case amid the chaos of a violent act, the eyewitness statements sometimes contradicted each other.—
Tracy Grant,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Trump has ordered that two rules be repealed for every new one imposed.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Voters narrowly approved Measure B in November 2022, which repealed the 106-year-old People’s Ordinance and allowed the City Council to impose a cost-recovery fee for trash, recycling, and organics services.—
Johnny Lee Dang,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Took back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/took%20back. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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