A retraction means taking back something you said or wrote because it was wrong or untrue. When a newspaper publishes a retraction, it's admitting that an earlier story contained errors and formally correcting the record. Scientists publish retractions when they discover their research had mistakes that made their conclusions unreliable.

A retraction is more serious than simply changing your mind. It's a public acknowledgment that you got something wrong. If you accused your friend of stealing your pencil and later found it in your backpack, you'd owe them a retraction: a clear admission that your accusation was mistaken.

You're pulling back words you put out into the world. Some retractions happen because of honest mistakes, while others come after someone realizes they spread false information. Either way, making a retraction takes courage because you're admitting your error publicly.

Retraction also has a physical meaning: pulling something back or inward. A cat can retract its claws, drawing them back into its paws. An airplane retracts its landing gear after takeoff, folding the wheels up into the body of the plane.