To take something back word for

take back

1. To take possession of something one had previously given, lent, or lost possession of to someone else. A noun or pronoun can be used between «take» and «back.» I want to take back my video game from Jerry so I can play it over the weekend. This bank foreclosed on me illegally. The way I see it, this is just taking my own money back.

2. To return something one has purchased for a refund. A noun or pronoun can be used between «take» and «back.» I need to take back this blender—it doesn’t work when I plug it in. You can take anything you’ve purchased back to us within 14 days, so long as it is still unopened in its original packaging.

3. To retract or rescind something one has said. A noun or pronoun can be used between «take» and «back.» If you don’t take that back, I’m telling Mom! The senator quickly took back his statement, claiming he had gotten confused on the issue.

4. To transport one mentally or emotionally to a time in the past. A noun or pronoun is used between «take» and «back.» Wow, hearing that song again really takes me back to my college days!

5. To accept someone back into one’s life to resume a romantic relationship. A noun or pronoun can be used between «take» and «back.» I can’t believe you took her back after you caught her cheating on you! Gina is going to take back Benny again, I just know it.

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

take something back (from someone)

to take possession of something that one had previously given away. I took my sweater back from Tim, since he never wore it. I took back my money from the child.

to retract a statement; to rescind one’s remark. You had better take back what you said about my sister. I won’t take what I said back! She’s a twit!

take one back (to some time)

Fig. to cause one to think of a time in the past. This takes me back to the time I spent the summer in Paris. What you said really takes me back.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

take back

1. Retract a statement, as in I said you weren’t much of a cook but after that dinner I take it all back. This usage was first recorded in 1775.

2. take one back. Return in thought to a past time, as in That music takes me back to the first dance I ever went to. [Late 1800s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

take back

v.

1. To retrieve and regain possession of something: I had to take back my jacket from your closet because I need to wear it. I took my book back because I forgot that I had written some notes in the margins. The store won’t take back clothing if it has been worn.

2. To return something to some location: I took the book back to the library. The toaster I bought didn’t work, so I had to take it back.

3. To cause someone to return in thought to a past time: That old song sure takes me back. The smell of the ocean takes me back to our first trip to the beach.

4. To retract something stated, written, or done: What a terrible thing to say—I demand that you take it back. After your bad behavior, I take back all the nice things I said about you. I wish I could take back my embarrassing performance.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

See also:

• take one back
• dispossess
• dispossess of
• dispossess of (something)
• keep (someone or something) for (someone or something)
• keep for
• fight with (someone or an animal) over (someone or something)
• bargain for
• bargain for (someone or something)
• bargain for (someone or something) with (someone)

The English phrasal verb TAKE BACK has the following meanings:

1. Take back = To retract something you said

(transitive) When you admit that what you said was wrong and you retract what you said. To Retract is to withdraw a statement or accusation as untrue or unjustified.

A synonym is retract, repeal, or rescind.

• You can’t take back hurtful words after you have said them.
• I’m sorry that I said you were stupid; I take it back.
• Once I had realized that my testimony was incorrect, I took it back.

2. Take (something) back = to return something

(transitive) When you return something because it is faulty, damaged, did not work properly, was not up to standard or because you have finished using it.

• I took my new phone back to the store because the screen was already broken when I opened the box.
• You need the receipt if you want to take your goods back.
• Take faulty goods back to the store where you bought them.
• If you have finished reading the books then take them back to the library.

3. Take (someone) back = to remind you of another time

(transitive) When you hear or see something that reminds you of another place or time in your life. When your thoughts return you to another moment in your life. Synonyms are remember, reminisce.

• That song takes me back to the 1980s.
• I had a dream that really took me back to the scene of the accident.
• What is something that takes you back to your childhood?

4. Take (someone) back = to resume a relationship with someone

(transitive) When a person accepts to restart a relationship with another person, especially after that person has done something wrong.

• She has forgiven him and taken him back… for now.
• Are you crazy? I’m never taking her back after what she has done.
• Do you think you will ever take him back?

Take back – Summary Chart

Lesson tags: Back, Phrasal Verbs, Take

Back to: Phrasal Verbs in English > Phrasal Verbs with TAKE

These examples may contain rude words based on your search.

These examples may contain colloquial words based on your search.

But they want to be able to take something back with them: money, knowledge or both.

Но они хотят иметь возможность что-нибудь привезти с собой — деньги или знания, или то и другое.

I need to take something back to these guys.

Have you just ever wanted to just take something back?

Any precise movie is a adventure in which the audience gets to take something back home — a ray of hope, a lesson or facts.

Любой хороший фильм — это путешествие, в котором зрители могут взять что-то домой — луч надежды, урок или информацию.

When visitors come to America they usually try to take something back to their home country, but I am doing the opposite.

Приезжая сюда, люди хотят привезти из Америки что-то для своей страны, но я поступаю наоборот.

It was actually just a spontaneous statement in an interview, and I regretted it deeply, but I couldn’t take something back I said in public.

Это было спонтанное заявление, и я очень о нем сожалел, но не мог отказаться от того, что сказал публично.

I have to take something back.

We can take something back.

Other results

For those of you who don’t know, a retraction is when a newspaper takes something back.

Для тех, кто не в курсе, «опровержение» — это когда газета берёт слова обратно.

You can’t take something like that back.

Christians can’t take back something that was never theirs.

Но другим ветвям христианства можно отхватить то, что им никогда не принадлежало.

So they use a little bit of what they know to take a little something back for their retirement.

Так что они решают использовать кусочек своих знаний, чтобы прибавить кусочек к своей пенсии.

My fifth and last rule is don’t just take, give something back.

We oversee what is happening upon Earth, but nevertheless take something of a back seat as our Allies continue to take more control of what is happening.

Мы наблюдаем за тем, что происходит на Земле, но, несмотря на это, занимаем скромное положение, в то время как наши союзники продолжают принимать на себя управление происходящим.

You can’t take back something that has been said.

It is hard to take back something that already happened.

How do you take back something which is so obvious and true?

Как вы можете игнорировать то, что так заметно и существенно?

How can one take back something that was never theirs?

Как можно вернуть то, что никогда им не принадлежало?

Should I have asked for something to take back first?

Rose writes that the agreement was intended only to give Brand something to take back to Budapest.

No results found for this meaning.

Results: 1993. Exact: 8. Elapsed time: 1082 ms.

Documents

Corporate solutions

Conjugation

Synonyms

Grammar Check

Help & about

Word index: 1-300, 301-600, 601-900

Expression index: 1-400, 401-800, 801-1200

Phrase index: 1-400, 401-800, 801-1200

16 phrasal verbs with ‘take’ (with example sentences)

1. TAKE ABACK

1. To surprise or shock someone (old-fashioned, rare)
   We were taken aback by the news.
   His voice was so loud that it took us aback at first.

2. TAKE AFTER

1. To be similar to someone in appearance or character, especially a family member
   She’s very funny. She takes after her mother.
   He takes after his father’s side of the family.

3. TAKE APART

1. Take something apart or separate something into its different parts
   He took my phone apart to fix it.
2. Showing the weakness of an argument or an idea
   They will take our report apart and then give us feedback.
   
3. To criticise something (British English)
   The reviewers took apart the new film.

4. TAKE AWAY

1. To remove something
   Take that table away as we don’t need it in here.
   They took away my passport so I can’t travel.

1. To subtract a number or amount
   Six take away four is two.

1. To buy food from a restaurant and eat it elsewhere
   We ordered Chinese food to take away

1. To get a piece of information or message from something
   What I took away from that film is that neither side wins in a war.
   Take away from something

1. To reduce the positive effect of something
   The drunken fight after the party took away from the celebration.
   Take someone away

1. Bring someone from their home to an institution
   He became very aggressive so we called the police and they took him away.

5. TAKE BACK

Take something back

1. Return something to the place you bought it
   The dress was too tight so I took it back to the shop.

1. Admitting something you said/thought was wrong
   You’re not selfish. I take that (comment) back.

1. To regain possession of
   I took back my jacket from Sarah.
   Take someone back

1. Allow someone to come back/return
   He cheated on her but she finally took him back.
   Takes you back (British English)

1. Reminds you of a time in your past
   Playing that game took me back to my childhood.

In British English the phrases ‘to take down a notch’ or ‘to take down a peg’ are commonly used in conversation to express lowering/reducing someone in power. For example, “He’s so arrogant! I’d like to take him down a notch”.

6. TAKE DOWN

Take something down

1. Reach up and get something from a high place
   He took down the book from the top of the bookcase.

1. To dismantle a structure
   After the music festival, they took down the stage.

1. To write down a piece of information
   She took down John’s number so she could call him back.
   Take somebody down

1. To humble or humiliate someone, to lower/reduce in power
   The journalist took the politician down with her difficult questions.

1. To hit or shoot someone so they fall down
   My brother would easily take you down in a fight!

1. To remove a prisoner from where they stand in court (British)
   Court is adjourned. Take him down.

7. TAKE FOR

To believe something about somebody, often wrongly
You took me for an idiot.
She looks very mature so I took her for much older than 14.

Some phrasal verbs have many different meanings – both formal and informal. The intended meaning can only be understood from the context. For example, to ‘take in’ can mean to pay attention to something or to make an item of clothing smaller. To ‘take something back’ can mean to return an item to a shop for a refund or to admit that something you said was wrong. And to ‘take off’ can either mean a plane leaving the ground or it can be used to describe someone becoming successful very suddenly.

8. TAKE IN

Take somebody in

1. Allow someone to stay in your house/country
   He had nowhere to go so she took him in.

1. When the police remove someone from their home in order to question them
   The police took him in for questioning about the robbery.

1. Deceived by something/someone
   She lied! I can’t believe I was taken in by her.
   Take something in

1. To pay attention to, understand something
   It was a very good speech and I took it all in.

1. See everything at the same time with just one look
   When she walked into the room she took it all in.

1. Allow something to enter your body, by breathing or swallowing
   Some plants take in a lot of water and can’t grow in dry places.

1. To make clothing smaller/tighter
   She took in her dress as it was too big.

1. The amount of money a business gets from people buying goods or services
   It was a successful year as the company took in £1.5 million.

1. To include or constitute something
   The book takes in the period between the First and Second World Wars.

Phrasal verbs are very common in native English conversation. For example, try using ‘take off’ to describe suddenly leaving somewhere, ‘take up’ to mean start doing a hobby or ‘take down’ to mean defeat or humiliate someone. When you next watch a TV show or film in English try and listen out for phrasal verbs with ‘take’ and note how they are used.

9. TAKE OFF

1. Leave the ground (an airplane, bird or insect)
   The plane took off at 2pm.

1. To become successful or popular very suddenly
   Her career took off.

1. To suddenly leave somewhere (informal)
   He took off before I had a chance to say bye.

1. Imitate/impersonate somebody
   She takes off her mother so well.

1. When a service is withdrawn
   The program was taken off TV because it wasn’t very popular.
   Take something off

1. To remove a piece of clothing
   It was hot in the room so he took off his jumper.

1. Not go to work, but with permission
   She took a week off to go and visit her family.

10. TAKE ON

Take something on

1. Accept a job or responsibility, especially a difficult one
   I took on the project.

1. Develop an appearance or quality
   The room took on a 1970s look.
   Take somebody on

1. Employ someone to do a job
   I went for the interview last week and now they’ve decided to take me on.

1. To fight or compete against someone
   Germany will take on Mexico in the first round of the World Cup.

1. Allowing people to get on a vehicle
   We can only take on five more passengers at the next stop.

When it comes to food, ‘take out’ and ‘take away’ both mean the same thing – to buy food from a restaurant and eat it somewhere else. But ‘take away’ is more common in the UK and ‘take out’ more common in the US.

11. TAKE OUT

Take something out

1. Remove something from its place
   I got my wisdom tooth taken out.
   I took out my wallet from my bag.

1. Obtain something official, such as a loan, licence or insurance policy
   She took out a loan from the bank.

1. Buy food from a restaurant and eat it elsewhere
   Do you want that to eat in or take out?
   Take someone out

1. Go somewhere with someone, you usually invite them and pay
   David took his girlfriend out for dinner.

1. Kill or destroy someone/something
   His entire army unit got taken out in Afghanistan.
   Take it out of you

1. Something that requires a lot of effort and makes you tired
   The journey to work this morning was a nightmare! It really took it out of me.
   Take something out on someone

1. To treat someone badly because you feel upset or angry
   Sorry, I was very upset yesterday and I took it out on you.

 

12. TAKE OVER

Take something over

1. To get control of a company, business
   Facebook took over WhatsApp in 2014.

1. To seize power/control (e.g. of a country), often by force
   When the protests started the army took over.
   Take over from something

1. To become bigger/more important than something else, take control
   Her desire to win took over.
   Take over from somebody

1. To start having control of something, in place of somebody else
   Susan is taking over from Anna as manager.

13. TAKE someone THROUGH something

1. To explain something to someone
   Let me take you through the instructions for the exam.
   If you don’t understand what you’re meant to do, I can take you through it.

14. TAKE TO

1. To like something/somebody
   It was only the teacher’s first class but the students really took to him.

1. Start doing something often
   She’s taken to drinking green tea every morning.

15. TAKE UP

Something

1. Spend time doing something regularly (e.g. a hobby)
   She took up swimming and started going twice a week.

1. Act on a question, problem or cause
   When she read about the libraries closing, she took up the issue with her MP (Member of Parliament, local politician).

1. Start working at a job
   He will take up his position next week.

1. Accept an offer or challenge
   He was offered a promotion at work and, although it was a lot more work, he took up the challenge.
2. Use space, time or effort
   I know you’re busy so I won’t take up too much of your time.

1. Get into a particular position
   She took up a position in the corner of the room.

1. To start something after an interruption or someone else has started it
   When David left the police, Anna took up his unfinished case.
   Take somebody up on something

1. Say yes to an invitation or offer
   – I can show you round London if you like. – I’ll take you up on that (offer)!
   Take something up with somebody

1. Discuss a subject with someone, usually a complaint
   If you’re unhappy with the service, you’ll have to take it up with my manager.

16. TAKE it UPON oneself

1. Accept responsibility for something
   He took it upon himself to show the guests around.
   I took it upon myself to give him the bad news.

Exercises: phrasal verbs with ‘take’

Alex Jude —
ESL Specialist & CEO at Online Teachers UK.

Find this post useful? Share it with friends!

  [ teɪk bæk ]  

1. Возвращать (на место)
2. Забирать свои слова назад
3. Принять кого-то обратно, возобновить отношения
4. Напоминать о прошлом, вызывать в памяти

Этот фразовый глагол легко запоминается, потому что переводится практически буквально – взять что-то обратно.

1. Возвращать = To Return

Iraqi forces take back Tikrit from ISIS, official says.
Иракские войска отбили Тикрит у ИГИЛ, заявил чиновник.

If I buy something and he doesn’t like it, I’ll take it back.
Если я куплю что-то, а ему не понравится, я верну это обратно.

I went to the library and took your books back.
Я пошёл в библиотеку и вернул твои книги.

I once took back a pair of shoes that fell apart after a week.
Однажды мне пришлось вернуть пару обуви,которая развалилась всего через неделю.

2. Забирать свои слова назад

I didn’t meant what I said – I take it back.
Я не это имел в виду, беру свои слова обратно.

Take back what you said about Jeremy!
А ну повтори, что ты сказал о Джереми!

All right, I take it all back. It wasn’t your fault.
Ладно, я был неправ. Это не твоя вина.

3. Принять кого-то обратно, возобновить отношения

Why did she take him back?
Почему она согласилась снова быть с ним?

The government has agreed to take back some of the refugees.
Власти согласились принять обратно в страну некоторых беженцев.

4. Напоминать о прошлом, вызывать в памяти

This song always takes me to my childhood.
Эта песня всегда уносит меня в детство.

I enjoyed experimenting with colours – it took me back to being five years old.
Мне нравилось пробовать разные сочетания цветов – так же, как и в пять лет.

• ★    Фразовые глаголы с Take
• ★    Фразовые глаголы с наречием BACK