Main entry: recant, resile, retract, abjure, forswear
Definition: formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure
Usage: He retracted his earlier statements about his religion; She abjured her beliefs
Definition: pull inward or towards a center
Usage: The pilot drew in the landing gear; The cat retracted his claws
Main entry: pull back, retract, draw back
Definition: use a surgical instrument to hold open (the edges of a wound or an organ)
Main entry: retract, shrink back
Definition: pull away from a source of disgust or fear