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
The peer filed a complaint against him before retracting it.
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Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
OpenAI researcher retracts announcement of math breakthrough.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
At the gubernatorial debate, Spanberger repeated her condemnation of the messages but refused to retract her endorsement of Jones, saying Jones is running his own race and voters should decide what to do with the information.
—Margaret Barthel, NPR, 16 Oct. 2025
The grounds crews can work on the grass sections in tight quarters underneath the concourses and get grow lamps on them even when they’re retracted.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for retract
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retract
Verb
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Former North Crowley standout Ka’Morreun Pimpton also withdrew his name from the portal Sunday.—
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The United Arab Emirates (UAE) withdrew its troops last week following a deadline from Saudi Arabia.—
Verb
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Margaret’s father succeeded him as King George VI, and her mother Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, never forgave the duke for renouncing his duty to his country.—
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Ukraine withdrawing from all of the Donbas, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, and Kyiv officially renouncing its aim to join NATO.—
Verb
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Rusev pointed to his own match history in AEW as evidence contradicting the rumors.—
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The research had significant limitations, was not designed to be able to prove cause and effect, and contradicts previous studies that indicated positives for heart health.—
Verb
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He was charged with first-degree murder but denied any involvement.—
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Squeeze Burger announced Tuesday that its sole remaining brick-and-mortar in Roseville is set to close later this month, after its proposal for a new lease was reportedly denied.—
Cite this Entry
“Retract.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retract. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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