Retract

• POS: Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: re=tract

CIDE DICTIONARY

Retract, v. t. [F. rétracter, L. retractare, retractatum, to handle again, reconsider, retract, fr. retrahere, retractum, to draw back. See Retreat.].

•  To draw back; to draw up or shorten; as, the cat can retract its claws; to retract a muscle.  [1913 Webster]
•  To withdraw; to recall; to disavow; to recant; to take back; as, to retract an accusation or an assertion.  [1913 Webster]

  "I would as freely have retracted this charge of idolatry as I ever made it."  [1913 Webster]
•  To take back,, as a grant or favor previously bestowed; to revoke.  Woodward.  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To recall; withdraw; rescind; revoke; unsay; disavow; recant; abjure; disown.

Retract, v. i. 

•  To draw back; to draw up; as, muscles retract after amputation.  [1913 Webster]
•  To take back what has been said; to withdraw a concession or a declaration.  [1913 Webster]

  "She will, and she will not; she grants, denies,
  Consents, retracts, advances, and then files."  [1913 Webster]

Retract, n. 

 The pricking of a horse's foot in nailing on a shoe.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Retract, v.
1 tr. (also absol.) withdraw or revoke (a statement or undertaking).
2 a tr. & intr. (esp. with ref. to part of the body) draw or be drawn back or in. b tr. draw (an undercarriage etc.) into the body of an aircraft.

Derivative

retractable adj. retraction n. retractive adj.

Etymology

L retrahere or (in sense 1) retractare (as RE-, trahere tract- draw)

THESAURUS

Retract

abandon, abjure, abolish, abrogate, annul, assert the contrary, back, back down, back out, backwater, belie, cancel, cede, climb down, contest, contradict, contravene, controvert, counter, countermand, counterorder, crawfish out, cringe, cross, deny, disaffirm, disallow, disannul, disavow, disclaim, disgorge, disown, dispense with, dispose of, disprove, dispute, do away with, do without, draw back, draw in, drop, duck, dump, eat crow, eat humble pie, fall back, flinch, forgo, forswear, gainsay, get along without, get rid of, give away, give up, have done with, impugn, invalidate, join issue upon, kiss good-bye, make a sacrifice, make void, not accept, not admit, nullify, oppose, override, overrule, palinode, part with, pull back, pull in, pull out, quitclaim, recall, recant, refuse to admit, refute, relinquish, render up, renege, renounce, repeal, repudiate, rescind, resign, retreat, retrocede, retrograde, reverse, revoke, sacrifice, set aside, shrink, shy, spare, surrender, suspend, swallow, swear off, take, take back, take issue with, throw up, unsay, vacate, void, waive, wince, withdraw, write off, yield

ROGET THESAURUS

Retract

Irresolution

VB be irresolute, hang in suspense, keep in suspense, leave "ad referendum", think twice about, pause, dawdle, remain neuter, dillydally, hesitate, boggle, hover, dacker, hum and haw, demur, not know one's own mind, debate, balance, dally with, coquet with, will and will not, chaser-balancer, go halfway, compromise, make a compromise, be thrown off one's balance, stagger like a drunken man, be afraid, let 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would', falter, waver vacillate, change, retract, fluctuate, pendulate, alternate, keep off and on, play fast and loose, blow hot and cold, shuffle, palter, blink, trim.

Tergiversation

VB change one's mind, change one's intention, change one's purpose, change one's note, abjure, renounce, withdraw from, waver, vacillate, wheel round, turn round, veer round, turn a pirouette, go over from one side to another, pass from one side to another, change from one side to another, skip from one side to another, go to the rightabout, box the compass, shift one's ground, go upon another tack, apostatize, change sides, go over, rat, recant, retract, revoke, rescind, recall, forswear, unsay, come over, come round to an opinion, crawfish, crawl, draw in one's horns, eat one's words, eat the leek, swallow the leek, swerve, flinch, back out of, retrace one's steps, think better of it, come back return to one's first love, turn over a new leaf, trim, shuffle, play fast and loose, blow hot and cold, coquet, be on the fence, straddle, bold with the hare but run with the hounds, nager entre deux eaux, wait to see how the cat jumps, wait to see how the wind blows.

Abrogation

VB abrogate, annul, cancel, destroy, abolish, revoke, repeal, rescind, reverse, retract, recall, abolitionize, overrule, override, set aside, disannul, dissolve, quash, nullify, declare null and void, disestablish, disendow, deconsecrate, disclaim, ignore, repudiate, recant, divest oneself, break off, countermand, counter order, do away with, sweep away, brush away, throw overboard, throw to the dogs, scatter to the winds, cast behind, dismiss, discard, cast off, turn off, cast out, cast adrift, cast out of doors, cast aside, cast away, send off, send away, send packing, send about one's business, discharge, get rid of, bounce, fire, fire out, sack, cashier, break, oust, unseat, unsaddle, unthrone, dethrone, disenthrone, depose, uncrown, unfrock, strike off the roll, disbar, disbench, be abrogated, receive its quietus, walk the plank.

Resignation

VB resign, give up, throw up, lay down, throw up the cards, wash one's hands of, abjure, renounce, forego, disclaim, retract, deny, abrogate, desert, get rid of, abdicate, vacate, vacate one's seat, accept the stewardship of the Chiltern Hundreds, retire, tender one's resignation.

Nonobservance

VB fail, neglect, omit, elude, evade, give the go-by to, set aside, ignore, shut one's eyes to, close one's eyes to, infringe, transgress, violate, pirate, break, trample under foot, do violence to, drive a coach and six through, discard, protest, repudiate, fling to the winds, set at naught, nullify, declare null and void, cancel, retract, go back from, be off, forfeit, go from one's word, palter, stretch a point, strain a point.