TAKING BACK Synonyms: 65 Similar and Opposite Words

taking back

verb

present participle of take back

as in withdrawing

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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Example Sentences

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 taking back At the start of 2026, Democrats taking back the House and running competitively for the Senate across a daunting map might have been seen as a rousing recovery from the Party’s poor state two years ago. — Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026 The county voted to remove BSO Fire Rescue from the sheriff and is considering taking back security for the airport and seaport, the jail and 911 center. — Norgan Rynor, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026 The county voted to remove BSO Fire Rescue from the sheriff and is considering taking back security for the airport and seaport, the jail, and the 911 center. — Morgan Rynor, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026 As well as taking back ownership of recruiting locally and in the West. — Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026 But for Lee's government and many South Koreans who support the transition, taking back wartime OPCON represents greater military autonomy and a more equal alliance with the United States. — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2026 Rhaenyra shows no affection whatsoever to her heir, Joffrey, and only shows signs of any warmth at all when speaking with Daemon about taking back Tumbleton from Lord Ormund and the Hightowers. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 A week after setting an all-time high in Nielsen’s streaming ratings, Love Island USA nearly matched it while taking back the top overall ranking for the third time this summer. — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026 Also not on the spring 2027 calendar is Giambattista Valli, who is taking back control of his house following an agreement to buy back full ownership from Artémis, the private investment arm of the billionaire Pinault family. — Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 24 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for taking back

Verb

In these situations, withdrawing into a literal or symbolic dark room—avoiding sources of stress and going to a safe place—can be adaptive in the short term.

— Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
After two decades of war, the US military was withdrawing from Afghanistan, and Kabul was falling.

— Azadeh Moaveni, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of withdrawing

Verb

With styling that’s part Art Deco, part Steampunk, and part contemporary elegance, the Supersport comes with the choice of either a removable composite-hardtop roof or a retracting mohair soft-top setup.

— Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 19 Oct. 2026
Vivo and Oppo phones have relied on various gimmicks, like smaller gimbals and pop-out lenses, to improve camera performance, though not to the extent of a physically retracting gimbal.

— Florence Ion, PC Magazine, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of retracting

Verb

Irma is not going to resolve her dilemma by having sex or cutting loose, nor by renouncing such pastimes and doubling down on intellect.

— B. D. McClay, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Although economic espionage is not without risk, unilaterally renouncing the practice in the current global environment is far more dangerous.

— DAVID S. COHEN, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of renouncing

Verb

The lawmakers argued that repealing the credits while major projects were still under construction would jeopardize investments already underway and the jobs tied to them.

— Kayla Morton, The Conversation, 19 Oct. 2026
The Trades Council endorsed the campaign for repealing the law, according to Ballotpedia, while Schmidt spent heavily to defend it.

— Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of repealing

Verb

The contradicting geological and orbital observations for Phobos and Deimos collected to date have prevented scientists from definitively establishing one hypothesis over the other.

— Josh Dinner, Space.com, 18 Oct. 2026
His argument would have been laughable, if not for the fact that Black Americans were barred from giving testimony against white people in California’s courts and therefore from contradicting Smith’s account.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026