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
Almost serendipitously, however, was a trip that AJ and Kristina took back home to Charlotte to visit AJ’s mother.
—
Timothy Depeugh, Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 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
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
Timothy Depeugh, Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for took back
Verb
-
Although the chapter had been peer reviewed and approved by the Federal Judicial Center, as well as by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, the center retracted the climate chapter in February.—
Abrahm Lustgarten,
ProPublica,
2 May 2026
-
Lucas, known for making false confessions, later retracted his claim, and additional evidence ruled him out.—
Ryan Brennan
April 28,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Camp Mystic officials withdrew their application to reopen this summer, a day after an emotional legislative hearing attended by the parents of the girls killed by a flood at the camp last year.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
1 May 2026
-
Trump withdrew his first nominee, Fox News medical contributor Janette Nesheiwat, after questions were raised about her academic credentials.—
Ali Swenson,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Philip Fong | Afp | Getty Images Japan renounced war under Article 9 of its post-World War II pacifist constitution.—
Sam Meredith,Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
21 Apr. 2026
-
President Ahmed al-Sharaa is a one-time al-Qaeda commander who renounced the ideology before taking power.—
Jane Arraf,
NPR,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Clemente first denied drinking but later admitted to consuming alcohol.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
-
Vinicius Jr had alleged that Prestianni had racially abused him, which Prestianni denied on social media.—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
The reasoning, which contradicted every previous Supreme Court decision on segregation, cited the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause.—
Susan Shelley,
Oc Register,
2 May 2026
-
Prosecutors, however, argued that the position of his deceased body and the distance from which the shot was fired contradicted her account.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
But Capone didn’t feel Chicago would be better off until Prohibition was repealed.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
-
The fee was suspended in 2017 and was set to be repealed entirely in 2031 as part of a legislative deal to extend the cap-and-trade program, which collects money by auctioning permits to emit greenhouse gases.—
Susan Shelley,
Oc Register,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Took back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/took%20back. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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