Definitions
- Describing the action of withdrawing from a commitment or agreement. - Referring to the act of canceling or reneging on a previously made plan or arrangement. - Talking about the decision to not participate in an event or activity that one had initially agreed to.
- Referring to the action of taking back or withdrawing a statement or claim that was previously made. - Describing the act of pulling or drawing something back into its original position. - Talking about the process of revoking or canceling a previous decision or action.
List of Similarities
- 1Both involve the action of undoing or withdrawing something.
- 2Both can refer to canceling or revoking a previous decision or commitment.
- 3Both can be used in the context of changing one's mind or reversing a previous action.
What is the difference?
- 1Usage: Back out is commonly used to describe withdrawing from a commitment or agreement, while retract is more often used to describe taking back a statement or claim.
- 2Subject: Back out typically involves a person as the subject, while retract can involve both people and objects.
- 3Action: Back out refers to the act of withdrawing or canceling, while retract refers to the act of pulling or drawing something back.
- 4Focus: Back out emphasizes the decision to withdraw or cancel, while retract focuses on the act of taking back or revoking something.
- 5Connotation: Back out can sometimes carry a negative connotation of breaking a commitment, while retract is more neutral and simply denotes the act of taking back or withdrawing something.
Remember this!
Back out and retract are synonyms that both involve the action of undoing or withdrawing something. However, they differ in their usage and focus. Back out is commonly used to describe withdrawing from a commitment or canceling a plan, while retract is more often used to describe taking back a statement or claim. Additionally, back out can carry a negative connotation, while retract is more neutral.
