recant
Say that one no longer holds an opinion or belief; formally withdraw a statement
Examples
In a meeting
“Under pressure from the board, he recanted his earlier criticism of the merger.”
Over coffee
“After seeing the evidence, she recanted her accusation.”
Why this word
withdraw
Recant means formally renouncing a belief or statement, while withdraw simply means taking back
retract
Recant specifically involves renouncing previous beliefs or statements publicly, while retract is general taking back of statements
deny
Recant means publicly disavowing a previously held position, while deny simply states something is untrue
Usage tip
Use for formal or significant retractions. Stronger than 'take back'—often implies pressure or changed conviction.
Etymology
Latin 'recantare' — to revoke, from re- (back) + cantare (to sing, chant)
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Related words
broach
To bring up or introduce a topic for discussion
concise
Giving a lot of information clearly in few words.
ambiguous
Open to more than one interpretation; not clear or decided.
convey
To communicate or make an idea, feeling, or meaning known.
reiterate
To say something again for emphasis or clarity.
paraphrase
To restate something in different words to make it clearer or shorter.