verb

retract

to retract, to withdraw, to take back

The company retracted its job offer.

The company retracted its job offer.

The cat retracted its claws.

The cat retracted its claws.

((sth.)) to withdraw or pull back (sth.) The company retracted its job offer.

Synonyms: withdraw, take back, revoke; Antonyms: assert, confirm

From Latin 're-' (back) + 'trahere' (to pull). It literally means 'to pull back'.

Think of 're-' as 'back' and 'tract' as in 'tractor' (which pulls things). To retract is to pull something back.

This page is designed for learning support. Please use it as a learning reference, not as a formal reference.