take back — retract words
phrasal verbB2IELTS 6+neutralcommon
to admit that something you said was wrong or hurtful and say you no longer mean it.
Say it like a native
Textbook I wish to retract my earlier statement.
Native I take it back — I shouldn't have said that.
'Take it back' is the everyday way to withdraw something you said; 'retract my statement' is formal.
Pattern: take (something) back
In use
- He realized he was wrong and took back what he said.communication
- Sometimes people say things they regret, but it's important to take back your words and apologize if you hurt someone.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ I want to take back my words back.
✓ I take back what I said.
Don't double 'back'; with a pronoun, 'take it back'.
Common collocations
take back + words— what I said, it, every word, that
Don't confuse it
'Take back' is about words or statements, not physical objects.
Related
- take back (return an item) — Another meaning of 'take back' is 'return an item'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.