Word.ws English Dictionary

Synonyms of retract

17 similar words · 5 opposite words

Another word for retract is pull back. Other synonyms of retract are retreat, unsay, walk back, withcall and withdraw. The opposite of retract is extend.

Synonyms and similar words for retract

verbTo pull (something) back or back inside.

nounSynonym of retreat (“an act of accidentally injuring a horse's foot by incorrectly nailing it...

verbTo take back or withdraw (something that has been said or written); to disavow, to repudiate.

  • unsayTo withdraw, retract (something said).
  • walk backTo withdraw or backpedal on a statement or promise.
  • withcallTo withdraw or retract, especially one's words; recant; unsay.
  • withdrawTo take back (a comment, something written, etc.); to recant, to retract.
  • abjureTo renounce (something) upon oath; to forswear; specifically, to recant or retract (a heresy or some other opinion); to...
  • backpedal
  • disavow
  • disown
  • eat one's words figurativelyTo regret or retract what one has said.
  • recallTo withdraw, retract (one's words etc.); to revoke (an order).
  • recantTo withdraw or repudiate a statement or opinion formerly expressed, especially formally and publicly.
  • revoke
  • swallowTo retract; to recant.
  • take backTo retract or withdraw (an earlier statement).
  • unspeak rareTo retract what one has spoken, to unsay.

Opposite of retract

verbTo draw (an extended body part) back into the body.

verbTo take back or withdraw (something that has been said or written); to disavow, to repudiate.

Meaning of retract

  1. verb To pull (something) back or back inside.
  2. verb To draw (an extended body part) back into the body.
  3. verb To avert (one's eyes or a gaze).

Full definition of retract

retract in other languages

Questions about synonyms of retract

What is another word for retract?
Retract has 17 synonyms on Word.ws, such as pull back, retreat, unsay, walk back, withcall, withdraw, abjure and backpedal.
What is the opposite of retract?
The opposite of retract is extend.
What does retract mean?
Retract means to pull (something) back or back inside.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: retract (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this page: “Synonyms of retract.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/retract. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.