Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To take back; disavow.
- intransitive verb To draw back or in.
- intransitive verb To utter (a sound) with the tongue drawn back.
- intransitive verb To draw back (the tongue).
- intransitive verb To take something back or disavow it.
- intransitive verb To draw back: synonym: recede.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To draw back; draw in: sometimes opposed to protract or protrude: as, a cat retracts her claws.
- To withdraw; remove.
- To take back; undo; recall; recant: as, to
retract an assertion or an accusation. - To contract; lessen in length; shorten.
- To draw or shrink back; draw in; recede.
- To undo or unsay what has been done or said before; recall or take back a declaration or a concession; recant.
- noun A falling back; a retreat.
- noun A retractation; recantation.
- noun In farriery, the prick of a horse's foot in nailing a shoe, requiring the nail to be withdrawn.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Far.) The pricking of a horse's foot in nailing on a shoe.
- transitive verb To draw back; to draw up or shorten
- transitive verb To withdraw; to recall; to disavow; to recant; to take back.
- transitive verb obsolete To take back,, as a grant or favor previously bestowed; to revoke.
- intransitive verb To draw back; to draw up.
- intransitive verb To take back what has been said; to withdraw a concession or a declaration.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb transitive To
pull back inside (for example, an airplane retracting its wheels while flying). - verb transitive To
take back orwithdraw something one has said.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb pull inward or towards a center
- verb formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure
- verb pull away from a source of disgust or fear
- verb use a surgical instrument to hold open (the edges of a wound or an organ)
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Equally, the vendor can pull out if a better offer comes along, or if they retract from the market.
Homebuying: A contract to keep the gazumpers from your door Esther Shaw 2010
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Even if you later retract is and apologize, there are enough god-forsaken morons in this country who will keep repeating it as though it's gospel solely because they choose to believe it in order to confirm for themselves that the world does indeed work the way they wish it to.
White House launches counteroffensive over Drudge Report link 2009
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Life went on, my reputation as an evil pro prostitution member seemed to grown not retract from the scathing criticisms.
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I can’t think of them off the top of my head, but there have been a couple that I have read that purposely poke fun to add humor to the book, and it doesn’t retract from the story at all.
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On the morning of the 24th of January the official document was handed to me, Mr. Wilson making the remark, as he gave it, that he hoped I would not retract, that is, he hoped that I would sign the official copy.
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The store was pretty quick to "retract" what they said, but I'm amazed that it even happened.
You Got A Problem With My Boobies, PUNK? | Her Bad Mother 2008
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Just yesterday, McCain said that Boehner should "retract" is remark. print share
Boehner Spokesman: Dems Are Criticizing "Small Price" Because They Want America's Defeat 2009
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Does everyone remember the flap last year about Robert Novak saying that the Clinton campaign had some deep dreadful oppo research on Obama, and how Obama challenged them to produce it or "retract"?
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In most instances of error, a person is asked to "retract" or "correct" ones' self.
Vatican says bishop's apology is not enough | RELIGION Blog | dallasnews.com 2009
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Many of them have already hedged their bets by voting SNP at council, European and Scottish elections knowing full well that they can always 'retract' that vote when/(if?) it comes to a referendum.
John Terry’s sacking as England captain tells us something interesting... 2009
mollusque commented on the word retract
The market for tract housing is retracting. See Free Associations.
February 5, 2008
14ShimAlissa commented on the word retract
. To keep you cool, your scalp will retract any hair growing out of it. (Your retracted mane also serves as a sponge that soaks up unhappy memories.)
July 11, 2011