English vocabulary · B2
Retract
[rɪˈtrækt] · v.
It means to take something back that you said or wrote.
Continue in the learning app for video lessons and review.
Example sentences
- The newspaper was forced to retract the false story.
- The company must retract its faulty product immediately.
Word origin and roots
from Latin
- re — back (from Latin)
- tract — to pull (from Latin)
Synonyms and nuances
- withdraw (pulling back an offer or statement)
- take back (reversing what was said or given)
- unsay (wishing spoken words had never been said)
Words with the same root
trahere — to pull
- attract — to pull toward — to draw someone in
- distract — to pull away — to break someone's focus
- extract — to pull out — to remove something from within
Lesson notes
Retract. It means to take something back that you said or wrote. A visible drawing back of a statement.
Similar words are withdraw, take back, and unsay. Use Retract when officially canceling a statement.
The newspaper was forced to retract the false story. The company must retract its faulty product immediately.
Re means back. Tract means to pull. To retract is to pull a statement back.