How to Use retract in a Sentence

retract

verb
Definition of retractnext
Synonyms for retractnext
  • The plane's landing gear failed to retract.
  • A cat can retract its claws.
  • The pilot retracted the plane's landing gear.
  • They retracted the job offer.
  • Their college grants were retracted.
  • Squeeze your chest, then retract both arms back to the start.
    — Mitch Calvert, Men's Health, 28 Nov. 2022
  • Pressure on the latch will force it to retract, and the knob should turn and open the door.
    — Kevin Dupzyk and Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, 18 Nov. 2020
  • Push the button on the handle and push the brush down to retract the holder for use.
    — Jodhaira Rodriguez, Good Housekeeping, 24 May 2022
  • The clasp is then removed, and the cable is retracted back up out of the way.
    — Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 27 Oct. 2024
  • To date, 15 papers of Pruitt’s have been retracted over the past 3 years.
    — Byclaudia Lopez Lloreda, science.org, 11 May 2023
  • Our group would like to dare these business men to retract their farms!
    — Kyle Denis, Billboard, 5 Oct. 2023
  • When the wheels retract, some stowaways are crushed by the landing gear.
    — Krista Stevens, Longreads, 10 Aug. 2020
  • The roof will be able to retract when weather is pleasant.
    — Dallas News, 19 Dec. 2022
  • When done, simply snap the cover back on and retract the brush to keep it clean and in good shape.
    — Carolyn Forté, Good Housekeeping, 17 Jan. 2023
  • The right thing was to refuse to retract the invitation.
    — Washington Post, 23 Apr. 2021
  • The soft brush plumbs the crevices of your keyboard to sweep out crumbs, then retracts with a snap for easy storage.
    — Boone Ashworth, Wired, 18 Feb. 2020
  • Grade 2: There is more scarring, and the milk ducts are retracted.
    — Brandi Jones, Msn-Ed, Health, 2 Nov. 2024
  • When not loaded up, the straps can simply retract into the body of the rack and keep a low profile look.
    — Talon Homer, Popular Mechanics, 28 Sep. 2022
  • Also, the rear doors open wider than before, and the rear windows now retract all the way into the doors.
    — Phil Berg, Car and Driver, 8 June 2020
  • Ferrari said the SF90 Spider’s hard top will retract in 14 seconds and can be dropped when on the move.
    — Daniele Lepido, Bloomberg.com, 12 Nov. 2020
  • Between us, in my hands, the wasp in her jar retracts her stinger and turns to examine the other eggs.
    — Nala Rogers, Popular Mechanics, 9 Aug. 2023
  • Word spread around the world but the claims were quickly retracted 24 hours later.
    — Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 6 Oct. 2024
  • When the pilots retracted the flaps, the plane’s downward push required extra force to keep the jet aloft.
    — Wired, 26 Sep. 2019
  • Sliding glass pocket doors retract and open on to the terrace.
    — Janice O'Leary, Robb Report, 15 Apr. 2021
  • Indoor-outdoor, letting the sun and the air and the light in, big windows, retracting doors.
    — Max Berlinger, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2019
  • The car's retractable hard top can deploy or retract in 14 seconds at up to 28 mph.
    — Caleb Miller, Car and Driver, 19 Apr. 2022
  • The study showing the benefits of No Mow May has been retracted.
    — Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 24 May 2023
  • In these cases, the only option is to retract the paper.
    — John Timmer, Ars Technica, 17 Oct. 2019
  • The cords unlock via a user’s phone app, and retract to avoid vandalism, weather exposure, or trip hazards.
    — IEEE Spectrum, 16 Dec. 2024
  • In 2010, more than a decade after it was originally published, The Lancet officially retracted the paper.
    — Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 12 Dec. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'retract.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: