retract

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re·tract

(rĭ-trăkt′)

v. re·tract·ed, re·tract·ing, re·tracts

v.tr.

1. To take back; disavow: refused to retract the statement.

2. To draw back or in: a plane retracting its landing gear.

3. Linguistics

a. To utter (a sound) with the tongue drawn back.

b. To draw back (the tongue).

v.intr.

1. To take something back or disavow it.

2. To draw back: a leash that retracts into a plastic case. See Synonyms at recede¹.

[Latin retractāre, to revoke, frequentative of retrahere, to draw back : re-, re- + trahere, to draw. V., tr., senses 2 and 3, and v., intr., sense 2, Middle English retracten, from Old French retracter, from Latin retractus, past participle of retrahere.]

re·tract′a·bil′i·ty, re·tract′i·bil′i·ty n.

re·tract′a·ble, re·tract′i·ble adj.

re′trac·ta′tion (rē′trăk-tā′shən) n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

retract

(rɪˈtrækt)

1. (tr) to draw in (a part or appendage): a snail can retract its horns; to retract the landing gear of an aircraft.

2. to withdraw (a statement, opinion, charge, etc) as invalid or unjustified

3. to go back on (a promise or agreement)

4. (intr) to shrink back, as in fear

5. (Phonetics & Phonology) phonetics to modify the articulation of (a vowel) by bringing the tongue back away from the lips

[C16: from Latin retractāre to withdraw, from tractāre to pull, from trahere to drag]

reˈtractable, reˈtractible adj

reˌtractaˈbility, reˌtractiˈbility n

retractation n

reˈtractive adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

re•tract¹

(rɪˈtrækt)

v.t.

1. to draw back or in: to retract fangs.

v.i.

2. to be capable of being drawn back or in.

[1400–50; late Middle English < Latin retractus, past participle of retrahere to draw back]

re•tract²

(rɪˈtrækt)

v.t.

1. to withdraw (a statement, opinion, etc.) as inaccurate or unjustified, esp. formally.

2. to withdraw or revoke (a decree, promise, etc.).

v.i.

3. to withdraw a promise, vow, etc.

4. to make a disavowal of a statement, opinion, etc.; recant.

[1535–45; < Latin retractāre to reconsider, withdraw]

re•tract′a•ble, re•tract′i•ble, adj.

retract

Past participle: retracted
Gerund: retracting

Imperative
retract
retract

Present
I retract
you retract
he/she/it retracts
we retract
you retract
they retract

Preterite
I retracted
you retracted
he/she/it retracted
we retracted
you retracted
they retracted

Present Continuous
I am retracting
you are retracting
he/she/it is retracting
we are retracting
you are retracting
they are retracting

Present Perfect
I have retracted
you have retracted
he/she/it has retracted
we have retracted
you have retracted
they have retracted

Past Continuous
I was retracting
you were retracting
he/she/it was retracting
we were retracting
you were retracting
they were retracting

Past Perfect
I had retracted
you had retracted
he/she/it had retracted
we had retracted
you had retracted
they had retracted

Future
I will retract
you will retract
he/she/it will retract
we will retract
you will retract
they will retract

Future Perfect
I will have retracted
you will have retracted
he/she/it will have retracted
we will have retracted
you will have retracted
they will have retracted

Future Continuous
I will be retracting
you will be retracting
he/she/it will be retracting
we will be retracting
you will be retracting
they will be retracting

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been retracting
you have been retracting
he/she/it has been retracting
we have been retracting
you have been retracting
they have been retracting

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been retracting
you will have been retracting
he/she/it will have been retracting
we will have been retracting
you will have been retracting
they will have been retracting

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been retracting
you had been retracting
he/she/it had been retracting
we had been retracting
you had been retracting
they had been retracting

Conditional
I would retract
you would retract
he/she/it would retract
we would retract
you would retract
they would retract

Past Conditional
I would have retracted
you would have retracted
he/she/it would have retracted
we would have retracted
you would have retracted
they would have retracted

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Verb	1.	retract - formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure; "He retracted his earlier statements about his religion"; "She abjured her beliefs" abjure, forswear, recant, resile repudiate, disown, renounce - cast off; "She renounced her husband"; "The parents repudiated their son"
	2.	retract - pull away from a source of disgust or fear shrink back cringe, flinch, funk, quail, recoil, wince, shrink, squinch - draw back, as with fear or pain; "she flinched when they showed the slaughtering of the calf"
	3.	retract - use a surgical instrument to hold open (the edges of a wound or an organ) draw back, pull back pull - apply force so as to cause motion towards the source of the motion; "Pull the rope"; "Pull the handle towards you"; "pull the string gently"; "pull the trigger of the gun"; "pull your knees towards your chin"
	4.	retract - pull inward or towards a center; "The pilot drew in the landing gear"; "The cat retracted his claws" draw in attract, pull in, draw in, pull, draw - direct toward itself or oneself by means of some psychological power or physical attributes; "Her good looks attract the stares of many men"; "The ad pulled in many potential customers"; "This pianist pulls huge crowds"; "The store owner was happy that the ad drew in many new customers" introvert, invaginate - fold inwards; "some organs can invaginate"

retract

verb

1. withdraw, take back, revoke, disown, deny, recall, reverse, cancel, repeal, renounce, go back on, repudiate, rescind, renege on, back out of, disavow, recant, disclaim, abjure, eat your words, unsay He hurriedly sought to retract the statement.

2. draw in, pull in, pull back, reel in, sheathe A cat in ecstasy will extend and retract his claws.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

retract

verb

1. To disavow (something previously written or said) irrevocably and usually formally:

abjure, recall, recant, take back, withdraw.

2. To pull back in:

draw in, withdraw.

3. To move back or away from a point, limit, or mark:

ebb, recede, retreat, retrocede, retrograde, retrogress.

Translations

يَنْقَبِض، يَنْكَمِش

vtáhnoutzatáhnoutvzít zpětodvolat

einziehen

αναιρώ ανακαλώ

rétracter escamoter

behúz

draga inn

ritirare

įsitrauktiįtraukiamas

ievilktievilkties

trekke inn trekke tilbake

vtiahnuť

geri çekmek

缩回缩进

retract

[rɪˈtrækt]

A. VT

1. [+ statement] → retractar, retirar

2. (= draw in) [+ claws] → retraer; [+ head] → meter (Tech) [+ undercarriage etc] → replegar

B. VI

1. (= apologize) → retractarse, desdecirse
he refuses to retract → se niega a retractarse or desdecirse

2. (= be drawn in) → retraerse, meterse (Tech) → replegarse

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

retract

[rɪˈtrækt]

[+ statement, accusation] → se rétracter de, rétracter; [+ offer, bid] → rétracter

[+ claws] → rétracter

[+ undercarriage, aerial] → rentrer, escamoter

(= recant) → se rétracter

[muscles] → se rétracter; [undercarriage, blade] → rentrer

retract

(= withdraw) offer → zurückziehen; statement → zurücknehmen; decision → zuücknehmen, rückgängig machen

(= draw back) claws → einziehen; (Aviat) undercarriage → einziehen

(= withdraw) → einen Rückzieher machen

(claws, undercarriage) → eingezogen werden

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

retract

[rɪˈtrækt]

1. vt (statement) → ritrattare; (draw in, claws) → ritrarre; (aerial) → ritirare; (wheels of plane) → far rientrare

2. vi (claws) → ritrarsi; (aerial, wheels) → rientrare

retract

(riˈtrӕkt) verb

to pull, or be pulled, into the body etc. A cat can retract its claws; A cat's claws can retract.

reˈtraction (-ʃən) noun

reˈtractable adjective

able to be pulled up or in. An aeroplane has retractable wheels.

re·tract

v. retraer, retractar; retraerse, volverse hacia atrás.

References in classic literature ?

Moreover, if you do not immediately retract your demand I shall withdraw him!"

View in context

Young men, in the conduct and manage of actions, embrace more than they can hold; stir more than they can quiet; fly to the end, without consideration of the means and degrees; pursue some few principles, which they have chanced upon absurdly; care not to innovate, which draws unknown inconveniences; use extreme remedies at first; and, that which doubleth all errors, will not acknowledge or retract them; like an unready horse, that will neither stop nor turn.

View in context

She had that moment settled with Miss Tilney to take their proposed walk tomorrow; it was quite determined, and she would not, upon any account, retract. But that she must and should retract was instantly the eager cry of both the Thorpes; they must go to Clifton tomorrow, they would not go without her, it would be nothing to put off a mere walk for one day longer, and they would not hear of a refusal.

View in context

Relying too much on the offensive weapons of their acute angles instead of the defensive organs of good sense and seasonable simulation, these reckless creatures too often neglect the prescribed construction of the women's apartments, or irritate their wives by ill-advised expressions out of doors, which they refuse immediately to retract. Moreover a blunt and stolid regard for literal truth indisposes them to make those lavish promises by which the more judicious Circle can in a moment pacify his consort.

View in context

If you doubt, encourage her to retract her word, and you'll have an opportunity of judging!'

View in context

'I have been rendered uneasy by what you said the other night, and can only plead that I have done all for the best--that it is too late to retract, if I could (though I cannot)--and that I hope to triumph yet.

View in context

If the editor refused to print it, I was to tell him that he would be answerable to Ordinsky `in person.' He declared that he would never retract one word, and that he was quite prepared to lose all his pupils.

View in context

Emma was not required, by any subsequent discovery, to retract her ill opinion of Mrs.

View in context

Could I retract my word, and take upon myself the responsibility of compromising the future of my companions?

View in context

D'Artagnan's friends reminded him that he had a visit to pay, but at the same time bade him observe that there was yet time to retract.

View in context

Let things take their course; perhaps you may not have to retract."

View in context

I retract my error," cried Julia; "Charles must be brave, or he never could have acted so coolly, and so well."