TAKEN BACK Synonyms: 65 Similar and Opposite Words

taken back

verb

past participle of take back

as in withdrawn

to solemnly or formally reject or go back on (as something formerly adhered to) I take back what I said about her: she's not the fool I thought she was

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of taken back The white clapboard exterior topped with typical Norse dragon heads was taken back into the family in 1995 by Haeger’s great great granddaughter Ellika Modenfelt, who painstakingly restored it to its former glory with the help of local craftsmen. — Natasha Langan, TheWeek, 29 Sep. 2026 Perez went back to the hospital Monday evening after complaining of pain and was taken back into ICE custody around midnight, Lincoln-Goldfinch said. — Anna Wilder, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026 The report also shed light on Wells’ cellphone, which was taken back to the mainland without him. — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026 The charges were upgraded to felonies and the couple was taken back into custody on Friday. — Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026 Islamabad — Pakistan’s former leader and cricket icon Imran Khan was taken back to prison Friday morning after a medical check at a private hospital in the capital Islamabad, the government said. — Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026 The Northglenn Police Department says he will be taken back to Adams County, where he will be taken into custody by local law enforcement. — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2026 Members of the military escorted the women and the child off the premises for questioning, all of whom were eventually released and taken back to the nearest town, Puerto Maldonado. — ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026 The former mayor’s test came back positive for meth, and he was then taken back into custody, per the outlet. — Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 8 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for taken back

Verb

Sotheby’s announced Thursday that the works, recently designated French national treasures, had been withdrawn following discussions between the Schlumberger family and the city of Aix-en-Provence, Cézanne’s hometown.

— Daniel Cassady for ARTnews, Robb Report, 24 Oct. 2026
Nearly three decades of occupation followed, and troops were withdrawn only following the assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005 and the subsequent Cedar Revolution.

— Mireille Rebeiz, The Conversation, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of withdrawn

Verb

Advertisement Several branches of the Japanese imperial family renounced their royal status in 1947 to cut down on costs the monarchy incurred after the war.

— Chad de Guzman, Time, 26 Oct. 2026
The plan is to find candidates from families that renounced their royal status in 1947, which at the time was to ease the postwar financial burden on the monarchy.

— Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of renounced

Verb

Concerns over fatal accidents involving children helped turn public opinion against the infamous experiment, which Congress repealed within the year.

— Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026
The Independent Payment Advisory Board, which was supposed to force automatic Medicare cuts if spending exceeded target growth rates, was repealed in 2018 without ever becoming operational.

— Dana P. Goldman, STAT, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of repealed

Verb

Opposition activists have accused Venezuela's government of blocking Machado's return, a claim denied by Venezuelan authorities.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
Opposition activists have accused Venezuela’s government of blocking Machado’s return, a claim denied by Venezuelan authorities.

— Regina Garcia Cano, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of denied

Verb

The analysis shows how severely the department’s Office for Civil Rights has retracted from its mission, launching an average of about 100 new investigations a month — 1,839 total from Inauguration Day in 2025 through July 2026.

— Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 22 Oct. 2026
And not all of the proofs were certified as correct by the automatic logic verification platform Lean—in fact, some have already been retracted after outside scientists found mistakes.

— Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2026