take back
Third Person
takes back
Present Participle
taking back
Past Tense
took back
Past Participle
taken back
1
to return something to its original location, owner, or starting point
transitive
- I'll take back the library books after finishing reading them.
- She is taking back the rental car to the airport tomorrow.
- They took back the canoe to the lake after their trip.
- We were taking back the borrowed tools when it started raining.
- He will take back the package to the post office if it's not delivered on time.
Synonyms:
2
to regain the possession of a thing or person
transitive
- She took back her stolen wallet from the thief.
- They took back the control of the company from the previous management.
- The homeowner took back their property after the tenant moved out.
- The owner took back her stolen bicycle after it was recovered by the police.
Synonyms:
3
to remind someone of the the past
transitive
- The taste of the dish took her back to her childhood home.
- The sight of the ocean took them back to their honeymoon trip.
- The book's description took her back to the setting of her favorite novel.
- The familiar street took him back to his old neighborhood.
4
to retract a statement, opinion, or promise, especially in an apologetic manner
transitive
- He took back his harsh words and apologized for his behavior.
- They took back their promise to attend the event due to unforeseen circumstances.
- I take back what I said about not liking that movie; it was actually quite good.
- He regretted his comment and took it back during the meeting.
- They took back their accusation and admitted they were wrong.
5
to move a text to the previous line or a previous location within printed material for better placement or formatting
transitive
- The editor took back the sentence to improve its flow within the text.
- She took back the paragraph to adjust the line breaks and make it fit better.
- The typesetter took back the word to fix spacing issues.
- I took back the phrase and moved it to the previous line for better composition.
6
to restart a relationship with someone after a break
transitive
- Mark realized his mistake and wanted Katie to take him back as her boyfriend.
- Despite challenges, the team decided to take back their former coach, trusting in his ability to lead them to victory.
- Having learned from his errors, he hoped his family would take him back after his time away.
- Despite disagreements, they took each other back and repaired their friendship.
- Apologizing sincerely, he hoped she would take him back into her life.
7
to return a previously bought item to a seller in order to receive a refund
transitive
- She had to take back the dress because it didn't fit properly.
- The customer decided to take back the electronic device due to a malfunction.
- The policy allows customers to take back items within 30 days of purchase.
- She decided to take the sweater back after noticing a flaw in the fabric.
- If the shoes don't match your expectations, you can take them back to the store.