as in to withdraw
to solemnly or formally reject or go back on (as something formerly adhered to)
the newspaper was forced to retract the story, which turned out to be based on fabricated reporting
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Recent Examples of retract
These sensors then trigger the awnings to retract or extend to maintain optimal conditions.
—
Bestreviews,
Chicago Tribune,
22 June 2026
The handle extends and retracts smoothly, helping travelers of different heights maintain comfortable control over their luggage throughout their journey.
—
New Atlas,
22 June 2026
One of his Greenlandic colleagues offered his own thoughts, then similarly retracted, lest his assertions affect Greenland’s new position of leverage.
—
Ben Taub,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Chinese brand Honor used the opening red carpet of the Shanghai International Film Festival to debut its Robot Phone, a device that marries AI interaction with a high-resolution camera that extends from the phone body like an antenna, moves on its own, and retracts when not in use.
—
Jenny S. Li,
Variety,
14 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for retract
Bestreviews,
Chicago Tribune,
22 June 2026
The handle extends and retracts smoothly, helping travelers of different heights maintain comfortable control over their luggage throughout their journey.
—
New Atlas,
22 June 2026
One of his Greenlandic colleagues offered his own thoughts, then similarly retracted, lest his assertions affect Greenland’s new position of leverage.
—
Ben Taub,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Chinese brand Honor used the opening red carpet of the Shanghai International Film Festival to debut its Robot Phone, a device that marries AI interaction with a high-resolution camera that extends from the phone body like an antenna, moves on its own, and retracts when not in use.
—
Jenny S. Li,
Variety,
14 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for retract
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retract
Verb
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Ballot measure proponents had a Thursday evening deadline to withdraw their proposals.
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Patients might be women in their 30s with an autoimmune disease like lupus or people of any age exposed to such toxins as methamphetamines or, in the past, the fen-phen appetite suppressant drug of the 1990s, later withdrawn after being linked to heart disease.
Verb
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Jafarzadeh highlighted Khabiri as a symbol of the regime’s repression of athletes, as Khabiri was a rising soccer star who became captain of Iran’s national team before being arrested and asked to appear on television to renounce his political beliefs.
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Her first book, Notes on a Foreign Country (2018), seeks to take stock of, and renounce, American solipsism abroad.
Verb
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Over the same period, entry-level head count at the high-intensity firms rose 12%, contradicting predictions and fears that young or inexperienced workers would be most at risk of losing their jobs to AI.
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Jorge Rodríguez, the president of the National Assembly, announced Monday that the official toll stood at 1,719 people killed and 5,000 injured, and warned the public against sharing information that contradicted authorities.
Verb
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His opponent claimed that created a conflict of interest, which Weiser denied.
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The two housekeepers denied having such a conversation with Brown, noting language differences would have made such a discussion unlikely.
Cite this Entry
“Retract.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retract. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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