rollback

1 of 2

noun

roll·​back ˈrōl-ˌbak 

: the act or an instance of rolling back

a government-ordered rollback of gasoline prices

roll back

2 of 2

verb

rolled back; rolling back; rolls back

transitive verb

1

: to reduce (something, such as a commodity price) to or toward a previous level on a national scale

2

: to cause to retreat or withdraw : push back

3

: rescind

attempted to roll back antipollution standards

Synonyms

Verb

• abate
• abolish
• abrogate
• annul
• avoid
• cancel
• disannul
• dissolve
• invalidate
• negate
• null
• nullify
• quash
• repeal
• rescind
• strike down
• vacate
• void

Examples of rollback in a Sentence

Noun

a government-ordered rollback of gasoline prices

a rollback in environmental regulations

a rollback of previous wage concessions

Verb

lobbyists for the industry pressured the legislators to roll back the new automotive safety standards

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Ernesto Ackerman, president of the conservative-leaning group Independent Venezuelan-American Citizens, emphasized that the rollback is not a revocation of TPS protections — and agreed that Mayorkas had improperly extended it. —Claire Healy, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2025

The decision was praised by supporters of diversity, equity and inclusion policies that have seen dramatic rollbacks in the first week of President Donald Trump's second term. —James Powel, USA TODAY, 26 Jan. 2025

Verb

Sensing a sea change, retailers rolled back prices Sensing a sea change in consumer sensibilities, retailers rolled back prices in 2024. —Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2025

In recent months, companies have rolled back such policies, and Trump's move may intensify the trend. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1937, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1942, in the meaning defined at sense 2