take back
Britishverb
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to retract or withdraw (something said, written, promised, etc)
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to regain possession of
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to return for exchange
to take back a substandard garment
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to accept (someone) back (into one's home, affections, etc)
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to remind one of the past; cause one to reminisce
that tune really takes me back
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(also intr) printing to move (copy) to the previous line
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Retract a statement, as in I said you weren't much of a cook but after that dinner I take it all back . This usage was first recorded in 1775.
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take one back . Return in thought to a past time, as in That music takes me back to the first dance I ever went to . [Late 1800s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"If they take back Timbuktu and the other towns, I can go home."
From Barron's • May 19, 2026
Turkey already has defence ties with Mali, supplying it with drones which reportedly played a decisive role in helping the military take back Kidal in 2024.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026
After her divorce, she hired a new adviser—a woman—who helped her take back control of her financial life.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
In addition, as part of the new agreement, the district agreed to rescind more than 200 layoffs and is being pressed to take back more.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026
I want to take back every word, but it is too late.
From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
