AAAmerican Accent US

take back

Separable

The object can go before or after the particle — but a pronoun MUST go in the middle: “clean it up”, never “clean up it”.

How to say it

Stress the particle, not the verb: take BACK. Saying “TAKE back” is the clearest learner tell — the verb stays light and the particle carries the beat.

Do not release the /k/. Before the consonant of “back” the stop is held and swallowed rather than popped — the same unreleased-stop move as in hot dog. One smooth unit: “take back”.

2 meanings

  1. 1

    To retract something you said.

    • “I take back what I said about the food.”
    • “He refused to take it back.”

    Similar: retract, withdraw

  2. 2

    To return a purchase to a shop.

    • “Take it back if it doesn't work.”

    Similar: return

The particle logic

back

Something returns to where it was, or is held in reserve.

Listen + practice

Hear “take back” spoken naturally

Pick a sentence to record

Read the sentence aloud. Keep the stress on the particle and run the two words together — we’ll score every sound and flag what to work on.

Click to record

More TAKE phrasal verbs

Compare the whole family →

take off

(Of an aircraft) to leave the ground.

take up

To start a new hobby or activity.

take over

To assume control of something.

take in

To provide shelter for a person or animal.

take after

To resemble an older relative in looks or character.

take on

To accept a new responsibility or task.

take out

To remove something from inside a place or container.

take down

To write information as you hear it.

take apart

To separate something into its parts.

take away

To remove something entirely.

take to

To begin to like someone or something.

take back — meaning, examples & how to say it