retract
1to draw back or in:to retract fangs.
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
1Other definitions for retract (2 of 2)
to withdraw (a statement, opinion, etc.) as inaccurate or unjustified, especially formally or explicitly; take back.
to withdraw or revoke (a decree, promise, etc.).
to draw or shrink back.
to withdraw a promise, vow, etc.
to make a disavowal of a statement, opinion, etc.; recant.
Origin of retract
2Other words for retract
Other words from retract
- re·tract·a·ble, re·tract·i·ble, adjective
- re·tract·a·bil·i·ty, re·tract·i·bil·i·ty, noun
- re·trac·ta·tion [ree-trak-tey-shuhn], /ˌri trækˈteɪ ʃən/, noun
- un·re·tract·a·ble, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use retract in a sentence
When I had that first meeting, which was Thursday before Thanksgiving, a day before I was going to go on vacation—when Megan told us that you have to retract this paper, I started crying.
“I started crying”: Inside Timnit Gebru’s last days at Google—and what happens next | Karen Hao | December 16, 2020 | MIT Technology ReviewAs a result, Smartmatic issued a statement on Monday warning it will sue Fox News, as well as smaller media outlets NewsMax and OANN, for defamation if they don’t retract “dozens” of inaccurate statements.
Voting machine maker threatens to sue Fox News over conspiracy claims | Jeff | December 14, 2020 | FortuneAfter an internal review, she was asked to retract the paper or remove the names of the Google employees.
A leading AI ethics researcher says she’s been fired from Google | Karen Hao | December 3, 2020 | MIT Technology ReviewShe said Google had asked her to either retract the paper or at least remove the her name and those of the other Google employees, she told Bloomberg.
Google ethics researcher’s departure renews worries the company is silencing whistleblowers | Jeremy Kahn | December 3, 2020 | FortuneAn open letter with 17,000 likes on Twitter called for it to be retracted “for the good of the global scientific community.”
The Problem with a New Study on Mentorship in Science - Facts So Romantic | Aubrey Clayton | December 2, 2020 | Nautilus
These motors were located near the rear lip of Valier's conical cargo section on retractable booms.
Tight Squeeze | Dean Charles IngPersonal luggage was stowed under the bunk, cupboards were built in, tables folded back and even the basin was retractable.
Rich Living | Michael CathalIt had flaps which permitted slow landings and short take-offs, and it had retractable landing gear and variable-pitch propeller.
The Golden Skull | John BlaineOur retractable wings slid from their sockets and took hold of the thin atmosphere with a thump and a soft rustle.
Stamped Caution | Raymond Zinke GallunHe jabbed a button, and a motor purred, rolling out the retractable radar antenna.
Way of a Rebel | Walter M. Miller
British Dictionary definitions for retract
/ (rɪˈtrækt) /
(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
Origin of retract
1Derived forms of retract
- retractable or retractible, adjective
- retractability or retractibility, noun
- retractation (ˌriːtrækˈteɪʃən), noun
- retractive, adjective
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
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