Synonyms for retract
Synonyms by meaning
Verb
1. Recant — to take back or withdraw (something that has been said or written); to disavow, to repudiate
recant, abjure formal, withdraw, take back, disavow, revoke, abandon, disown, rescind, swallow, re-call, cancel, renounce, walk back, eat one's words, abrogate, re-treat, forswear, unsay, resile, repudiate, vacate
Other
Definitions
- v. 1
To take back or withdraw (something that has been said or written); to disavow, to repudiate.
I retract all the accusations I made about the senator and sincerely hope he won’t sue me.
- v. 2
To pull (something) back or back inside.
An airplane retracts its wheels for flight.
Related words
- Word family
- retracted retraction retractation
Forms
- Past participle
- retracted
e.g. retracted → recanted, abjured, withdrawn, disavowed…
Choose the right word
Abjure, discard, forswear, recall, recant, renounce, retract, and revoke, like abandon, imply some previous connection.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- withdraw You may as well withdraw from the club right away.
- revoke We don't think they have the ability to revoke your privileges.
- disavow Most of them disavow and denounce that sort of behavior.
- recant Tom had to recant or face excommunication.
By length
- 5 letters
- unsay
- 6 letters
- cancel2, revoke2, vacate2, disown2, recant2, abjure, resile
- 7 letters
- abandon3, swallow2, rescind2, disavow3
- 8 letters
- withdraw2, renounce2, abrogate3, forswear2
- 9 letters
- repudiate4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (cancel2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- rétracter