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 Mendoza’s first drive ended with his first interception, which Texans linebacker Wade Woodaz snatched and took back 80 yards for a pick six. — Sam Warren, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for took back

Verb

But as post-WWII agriculture shifted toward chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and heavy machinery, the need for kudzu decreased rapidly, and the federal government retracted its support for the crop.

— The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 26 Aug. 2026
Drivers should remain stopped until the arm is retracted and the bus begins moving again.

— Andrew Adeolu, CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of retracted

Verb

Fritz advanced to the final in 2024, but was defeated by Jannik Sinner (who just withdrew from the 2026 US Open with a knee injury) at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center.

— Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026
In 2024, the DSA’s national political committee withdrew its conditional endorsement of her reelection, citing disagreements over Israel and Gaza, among other issues.

— Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of withdrew

Verb

Yermolaiev has lived in the glitzy city state on the Mediterranean coast for several years, having left Ukraine and renounced his Ukrainian citizenship in 2019 to become a citizen of Cyprus.

— Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
Their virality comes at a time when the very generation that inspired them has largely renounced the label.

— Margaux MacColl, Vanity Fair, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of renounced

Verb

Evidence contradicted his story of being attacked with a box cutter, including an absence of blood on the weapon’s blade, officials said.

— Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 24 Aug. 2026
Prosecutors reduced some to misdemeanors, and dismissed others when evidence came to light that directly contradicted what agents had alleged happened.

— Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of contradicted

Verb

But the immunizations considered for repeal by DOH are only an agency rule, not in state law, and can be repealed by the agency itself.

— CBS News, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026
Other vaccine requirements, such as for measles, polio and mumps, are in state statute and would require the Legislature’s sign-off to be repealed.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2026