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pull back
| Main Entry: |
back down
|
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | back off |
| Synonyms: | abandon, accede, acquiesce, admit, back off, back out, back pedal, backtrack, balk, beg off, bow out, cancel, cave in, chicken out, chicken out, concede, cop out, demur, give ground, give in, give up, go back on, have no fight left, hold back, pull back, pull out, recant, recoil, renege, resign, retreat, submit, surrender, take back, wimp out, withdraw, withdraw from agreement or statement, yield |
| Antonyms: | go forward |
| Main Entry: | hesitate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | wait; be uncertain |
| Synonyms: | alternate, balance, balk, be irresolute, be reluctant, be unwilling, blow hot and cold, dally, debate, defer, delay, demur, dillydally, dither, doubt, equivocate, falter, flounder, fluctuate, fumble, hang back, hang*, hedge, hem and haw, hold back, hold off, hover, linger, oscillate, pause, ponder, pull back, pussyfoot, scruple, seesaw, shift, shrink, shy away, sit on fence, stammer, stop, straddle, stumble, stutter, swerve, tergiversate, think about, think twice, vacillate, waffle, waver, weigh |
| Antonyms: | attack, carry on, continue, go, go ahead, persevere, resolve |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | recoil |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | shrink away |
| Synonyms: | backfire, balk, blanch, blench, blink, carom, cringe, demur, dodge, draw back, duck, falter, flinch, hesitate, jerk, kick, pull back, quail, quake, react, rebound, reel, resile, shake, shirk, shrink, shudder, shy away, spring, start, step back, stick, stickle, swerve, tremble, turn away, waver, wince, withdraw |
| Antonyms: | face, meet |
| Main Entry: | restrain |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | keep under control; hold back |
| Synonyms: | arrest, bind, bottle up, box up, bridle, chain, check, choke back, circumscribe, confine, constrain, contain, control, cool*, cork, crack down, curb, curtail, debar, delimit, detain, deter, direct, fetter, gag, govern, guide, hamper, handicap, harness, hem in, hinder, hogtie, hold, impound, imprison, inhibit, jail, keep, keep down, keep in line, kill*, limit, lock up, manacle, muzzle, pinion, prevent, proscribe, pull back, repress, restrict, sit on, stay, subdue, suppress, tie down, tie up |
| Notes: | refrain means to choose not to do something or partake of something; restrain means to immobilize by force or to forbid an action |
| Antonyms: | free, liberate, release |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | retire |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | leave a place or responsibility |
| Synonyms: | absent oneself, decamp, deny oneself, depart, draw back, ebb, exit, fall back, get away, get off, give ground, give up work, give way, go, go away, go to bed, go to one's room, go to sleep, hand over, hit the sack, leave service, make vacant, part, pull back, pull out, recede, regress, relinquish, remove, repeal, rescind, resign, retreat, revoke, run along, rusticate, secede, seclude oneself, separate, sever connections, stop working, surrender, take off, turn in, withdraw, yield |
| Antonyms: | begin, enter, join |
| Main Entry: | retract |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | take back; renege on |
| Synonyms: | abjure, back, back down, back off, back out of, call off, cancel, change one's mind, countermand, deny, disavow, disclaim, disown, draw in, eat one's words, eliminate, exclude, fall back, forget it, forswear, go back on, have change of heart, nig, pull back, pull in, recall, recant, recede, reel in, renege, renounce, repeal, repudiate, rescind, retreat, retrocede, retrograde, reverse, revoke, rule out, sheathe, suspend, take back, take in, unsay, welsh, withdraw |
| Notes: | recant means to formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, while retract means to take back or to draw back or in |
| Antonyms: | corroborate, emphasize, reaffirm, repeat |
| Main Entry: | withdraw |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | remove something or someone from situation |
| Synonyms: | abjure, absent oneself, back out, bail out, blow, book, bow out, check out, depart, detach, disengage, draw away, draw back, drop out, ease out, eliminate, exfiltrate, exit, extract, fall back, get away, get lost, get off, give ground, give way, go, keep aloof, keep apart, leave, make oneself scarce, phase out, pull back, pull out, quail, quit, recede, recoil, retire, retreat, run along, secede, seclude oneself, shrink, switch, take a hike, take away, take leave, take off, take out, vacate |
| Antonyms: | remain, stay |
| Main Entry: | back away |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | move away backwards |
| Synonyms: | back out, backpedal, crawfish, pull back, retreat, retreat, withdraw |
| Antonyms: | move forward, stay |
| Main Entry: | superannuate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | retire |
| Synonyms: | absent oneself, decamp, deny oneself, depart, draw back, ebb, exit, fall back, get away, get off, give ground, give up work, give way, go away, go to bed, go to one's room, go to sleep, go*, hand over, hit the sack, leave service, make vacant, part, pension, pull back, pull out, put out to pasture, recede, regress, relinquish, remove, repeal, rescind, resign, retreat, revoke, run along, rusticate, secede, seclude oneself, separate, sever connections, stop working, surrender, take off, turn in, withdraw, yield |
* = informal/non-formal usage
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
