Formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure:
— He retracted his earlier statements about his religion.

synonyms: abjure, forswear, recant, resile.

Roget 607: change one's mind, change one's intention, change one's purpose, change one's note; abjure, renounce; withdraw from etc. (relinquish) 624; waver, vacillate; wheel round, turn round, veer round; turn a pirouette; go over from one side to another, pass from one side to another, change from one side to another, skip from one side to another; go to the rightabout; box the compass, shift one's ground, go upon another tack.    apostatize, change sides, go over, rat; recant, retract; revoke; rescind etc. (abrogate) 756; recall; forswear, unsay; come over, come round to an opinion; crawfish [U.S.], crawl [U.S.].    draw in one's horns, eat one's words; eat the leek, swallow the leek; swerve, flinch, back out of, retrace one's steps, think better of it; come back return to one's first love; turn over a new leaf etc. (repent) 950.    trim, shuffle, play fast and loose, blow hot and cold, coquet, be on the fence, straddle, bold with the hare but run with the hounds; nager entre deux eaux [Fr.]; wait to see how the cat jumps, wait to see how the wind blows.    ... show more

Roget 756: abrogate, annul, cancel; destroy etc. 162; abolish; revoke, repeal, rescind, reverse, retract, recall; abolitionize^†; overrule, override; set aside; disannul, dissolve, quash, nullify, declare null and void; disestablish, disendow^†; deconsecrate.    disclaim etc. (deny) 536; ignore, repudiate; recant etc. 607; divest oneself, break off.    countermand, counter order; do away with; sweep away, brush away; throw overboard, throw to the dogs; scatter to the winds, cast behind.    dismiss, discard; cast off, turn off, cast out, cast adrift, cast out of doors, cast aside, cast away; send off, send away, send packing, send about one's business; discharge, get rid of etc. (eject) 297; bounce [U.S.]; fire [Slang], fire out [Slang]; sack [Slang].    cashier; break; oust; unseat, unsaddle; unthrone^†, dethrone, disenthrone^†; depose, uncrown^†; unfrock, strike off the roll; disbar, disbench^†.    be abrogated &c.; receive its quietus; walk the plank.    ... show more

Roget 757: resign; give up, throw up; lay down, throw up the cards, wash one's hands of, abjure, renounce, forego, disclaim, retract; deny etc. 536.    abrogate etc. 756; desert etc. (relinquish) 624; get rid of etc. 782.    abdicate; vacate, vacate one's seat; accept the stewardship of the Chiltern accept the stewardship of the Chiltern Hundreds; retire; tender one's resignation.    ... show more

Roget 773: fail, neglect, omit, elude, evade, give the go-by to, set aside, ignore; shut one's eyes to, close one's eyes to.    infringe, transgress, violate, pirate, break, trample under foot, do violence to, drive a coach and six through.    discard, protest, repudiate, fling to the winds, set at naught, nullify, declare null and void; cancel etc. (wipe off) 552.    retract, go back from, be off, forfeit, go from one's word, palter; stretch a point, strain a point.    ... show more

Roget 605: be irresolute etc. adj.; hang in suspense, keep in suspense; leave "ad referendum"; think twice about, pause; dawdle etc. (inactivity) 683; remain neuter; dillydally, hesitate, boggle, hover, dacker^†, hum and haw, demur, not know one's own mind; debate, balance; dally with, coquet with; will and will not, chaser-balancer^†; go halfway, compromise, make a compromise; be thrown off one's balance, stagger like a drunken man; be afraid etc. 860; let 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would'" [Macbeth]; falter, waver vacillate etc. 149; change etc. 140; retract etc. 607; fluctuate; pendulate^†; alternate etc. (oscillate) 314; keep off and on, play fast and loose; blow hot and cold etc. (caprice) 608.    shuffle, palter, blink; trim.    ... show more

Dutch: ontkennen, intrekken, herroepen, [[verzaken]] [[aan]] een [[eed]], afzweren

Pull away from a source of disgust or fear.

synonym: shrink back.

Use a surgical instrument to hold open (the edges of a wound or an organ).

synonyms: draw back, pull back.

Pull inward or towards a center:
— The cat retracted his claws.

synonym: draw in.