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

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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 Mancini added after Democrats took back control of both the Senate and House of Representatives on Tuesday in addition to winning numerous local elections, resharing his previous photo of Chucky edited with blue hair. — Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 4 Nov. 2026 Jacksonville, which entered the game with just 15 penalties across its first three games, was flagged 10 times for 100 yards in the first half, including on plays that took back a pair of Tuten touchdowns due to offensive holding. — Zak Keefer, New York Times, 4 Oct. 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for took back

Verb

Experiments that initially corroborated the results were retracted, in one case amid indications of deliberate spiking with fake fusion products.

— George Musser, Quanta Magazine, 2 Nov. 2026
State law says that drivers have to stop and wait for a school bus with the stop arm extended until the stop arm is retracted.

— Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of retracted

Verb

The Mustangs were expected to play in the Prep Bowl playoffs, but the school’s administration withdrew after the coaching change.

— Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 11 Nov. 2026
Scalise defeated Jordan in an internal vote for the speakership after Kevin McCarthy was removed, although Scalise subsequently withdrew before a House floor vote.

— Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of withdrew

Verb

Its epic-length bookends transposed the funereal aims of Bell Witch’s modern doom masterpiece Mirror Reaper to Floydian realms, while its gentler, more meditative midsection never completely renounced the artists’ metal roots.

— Patrick Lyons, Pitchfork, 9 Nov. 2026
Far more Democrats renounced their party affiliation or switched to Republican than the other way around over the past two years.

— Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of renounced

Verb

The company can also expect litigation from shareholders, and possible regulatory action, if Huang or the board held back material information from investors (Nvidia previously denied the allegations of an affair to media outlets).

— Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 9 Nov. 2026
Little Flock residents rejected a proposal from the city to generate additional revenue last week while those living in northeastern Benton County approved a similar idea and denied another.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Nov. 2026

Definition of denied

Verb

The bystander video contradicted that claim, and the government refiled the misdemeanor assault charge she is now convicted of.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 5 Nov. 2026
Trump’s allegations, the judge found, were vague, conclusory and sometimes contradicted by the article itself.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2026