What does "retract" mean?
Retract: Ti withdraw; to recall; to disavow; to recant; to take back; as, to retract an accusation or an assertion. I would as freely have retracted this charge of idolatry as I ever made it. Bp. Stillingfleet.
Additional senses
- 2.To take back,, as a grant or favor previously bestowed; to revoke. [Obs.] Woodward.
- 3.To draw back; to draw up; as, muscles retract after amputation.
- 4.To take back what has been said; to withdraw a concession or a declaration. She will, and she will not; she grants, denies, Consents, retracts, advances, and then files. Granville.
- 5.The pricking of a horse's foot in nailing on a shoe.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
- Canonical URL: https://worddirectanswers.com/answers/what-does-retract-mean
- Steward: Jason Burns
- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00