Verb: retract ri'trakt
- Formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure
"He retracted his earlier statements about his religion";
- abjure, recant, forswear, resile
- Pull inward or towards a centre
"The cat retracted his claws";
- draw in
- Pull away from a source of disgust or fear
"The child retracted from the large dog";
- shrink back
- (surgery) hold open the edges of a wound or organ using a surgical instrument called a retractor
"The surgeon retracted the incision to get a better view";
- pull back, draw back
Derived forms: retracted, retracting, retracts
Type of: attract, blench, cringe, disown, draw, draw in, flinch, funk, pull, pull in, quail, recoil, renounce, repudiate, shrink, squinch [N. Amer], wince
Encyclopedia: Retract