retract

[ri-trakt]

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verb (used with object)

to draw back or in: to retract fangs.

verb (used without object)

to draw back within itself or oneself, fold up, or the like, or to be capable of doing this: The blade retracts.

Origin of retract

1400–50; late Middle English retracten < Latin retractus, past participle of retrahere to draw back, equivalent to re- re- + tractus (see tract¹)

retract

[ri-trakt]

verb (used with object)

to withdraw (a statement, opinion, etc.) as inaccurate or unjustified, especially formally or explicitly; take back.

to withdraw or revoke (a decree, promise, etc.).

verb (used without object)

to draw or shrink back.

to withdraw a promise, vow, etc.

to make a disavowal of a statement, opinion, etc.; recant.

Origin of retract

1535–45; < Latin retractāre to reconsider, withdraw, equivalent to re- re- + tractāre to drag, pull, take in hand (frequentative of trahere to pull)

Related formsre·tract·a·ble, re·tract·i·ble, adjectivere·tract·a·bil·i·ty, re·tract·i·bil·i·ty, nounre·trac·ta·tion

[ree-trak-tey-shuhn] /ˌri trækˈteɪ ʃən/, nounun·re·tract·a·ble, adjective

Synonyms for retract

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1, 2. deny, renounce, recant, abrogate, nullify, annul.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for retract

deny, repeal, revoke, reverse, renounce, repudiate, disavow, renege, withdraw, cancel, recant, disown, rescind, suspend, welsh, recall, abjure, recede, back, countermand

Examples from the Web for retract

Contemporary Examples of retract

Although Mefferd later apologized for the method of her accusations, she did not retract the substance of the claims.
Megachurch Star Mark Driscoll’s Publishing Downfall
Warren Throckmorton
June 30, 2014
I cannot and I will not retract anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience.
The Invention of the Ego in Martin Luther’s Defiance
Thomas Cahill
November 3, 2013
But when reporters asked him why he felt the need to retract the comment, he said, “So you all could stop asking me about it, OK?”
Herman Cain Drops Out: Relive His Most Cringeworthy Moments
Sara Gilford
November 13, 2011
His manager, agent, and close friends begged him to retract his statement.
Glee's New Villain
Itay Hod
September 20, 2010
Editor Mark Whitaker stood by the article, but had to retract the detail about the Quran.
Newsweek's Greatest Hits
The Daily Beast
May 5, 2010

Historical Examples of retract

He knew she was too much like himself ever to retract her words.
The Little Colonel
Annie Fellows Johnston
I do own myself beaten,' says she, 'and I retract my words.'
Camps, Quarters and Casual Places
Archibald Forbes
I repeat my words: I will not "retract," I cannot "repent of them."
Tales And Novels, Volume 8 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth
Some of them were sent to the Tower, but they would not retract.
History of England from the Fall of Wolsey to the Death of Elizabeth. Vol. II.
James Anthony Froude
No, I'll retract that, and on second thought reverse that judgment.
Mixed Faces
Roy Norton

British Dictionary definitions for retract

retract

verb

(tr) to draw in (a part or appendage)a snail can retract its horns; to retract the landing gear of an aircraft

to withdraw (a statement, opinion, charge, etc) as invalid or unjustified

to go back on (a promise or agreement)

(intr) to shrink back, as in fear

phonetics to modify the articulation of (a vowel) by bringing the tongue back away from the lips

Derived Formsretractable or retractible, adjectiveretractability or retractibility, nounretractation (ˌriːtrækˈteɪʃən), nounretractive, adjective

Word Origin for retract

C16: from Latin retractāre to withdraw, from tractāre to pull, from trahere to drag

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for retract

early 15c., "to draw (something) back," from Old French retracter (14c.) and directly from Latin retractus, past participle of retrahere "to draw back" (see retraction). Sense of "to revoke, recant, take back" is attested from 1540s, probably a back-formation from retraction. Related: Retracted; retracting.