TOOK BACK Synonyms: 65 Similar and Opposite Words

took back

verb

past tense of take back

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

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 took back Croatia took back possession to continue its offensive press but struggled to create goal-scoring opportunities. — Monica Alba, NBC news, 24 June 2026 Some of the companies hit hardest by selling Tuesday took back some of those losses before the market opened. — ABC News, 24 June 2026 One of those picks was off MVP Matt Stafford, by the way, which Jackson took back to the Panthers’ end zone. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 11 June 2026 In April, Ukraine actually took back more land than Russia seized for the first time since 2024. — Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 4 June 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for took back

Verb

Another is an integration with the PubPeer database, which allows users to check whether references in a manuscript have received previous PubPeer comments or have been retracted—both of which can indicate quality or integrity issues.

— IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 30 July 2026
Mas’ud confessed to building the bomb used in the attack, but later retracted the claim and alleged that he was forced to confess, according to the BBC.

— Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 30 July 2026

Definition of retracted

Verb

Jones has repeatedly denied the allegations since he was arrested in 2024.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
The former FedEx driver who was sentenced to death in May for the capital murder of 7-year-old Wise County girl Athena Strand has had his request for a new trial denied.

— Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of denied

Verb

What makes the reflecting pool incident different was that the administration contradicted claims of property damage made repeatedly by the president.

— Josh Boak, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026
Police say the video contradicted Medina’s claims that Cox was the aggressor.

— Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 30 July 2026

Definition of contradicted

Verb

Johns Hopkins University introduced a grade covering policy many years ago, but later repealed it.

— Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Thursday’s party-line vote repealed the national broadcast ownership rule, which bars a single company from reaching more than 39% of US TV households over the public airwaves.

— Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026