Synonyms: 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
Similar words: disown, renounce, repudiate
Definition: cast off
Usage: She renounced her husband; The parents repudiated their son
Definition: pull inward or towards a center
Usage: The pilot drew in the landing gear; The cat retracted his claws
Similar words: draw, draw in, pull, pull in, attract
Definition: direct toward itself or oneself by means of some psychological power or physical attributes
Usage: Her good looks attract the stares of many men; The ad pulled in many potential customers; This pianist pulls huge crowds; The store owner was happy that the ad drew in many new customers
Synonyms: pull back, retract, draw back
Definition: use a surgical instrument to hold open (the edges of a wound or an organ)
Similar words: pull
Definition: apply force so as to cause motion towards the source of the motion
Usage: Pull the rope; Pull the handle towards you; pull the string gently; pull the trigger of the gun; pull your knees towards your chin
Synonyms: retract, shrink back
Definition: pull away from a source of disgust or fear
Similar words: cringe, wince, squinch, shrink, flinch, funk, quail, recoil
Definition: draw back, as with fear or pain
Usage: she flinched when they showed the slaughtering of the calf