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Take back meaning

Take back means to return something you bought to the shop. It can also mean to say that something you said was wrong or unkind.

Check yourself: 3 questionsAll 10 phrasal verbs with take

take something back

take back · took · taken · taking

B1Separable+2 more meanings

These boots are too small. I’ll take them back.

Take back meanings and examples

3 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.

  1. 1return something you bought to the shop
  2. 2say that something you said was wrong or unkind
  3. 3make you remember a time in the past
  1. 1

    Return something you bought to the shop

    take something back

    B1Separable

    • These boots are too small. I’ll take them back.
    • Did you take back the jacket with the hole?
    • The shop won’t take back anything you bought in the sale.
  2. 2

    Say that something you said was wrong or unkind

    take something back

    B2Separable

    • I’m sorry. I take back what I said.
    • That’s not fair! Take it back!
    • He refused to take back his words.
  3. 3

    Make you remember a time in the past

    take somebody back

    B2Separable

    • This song really takes me back.
    • That smell took me back to my grandma’s kitchen.
    • Don’t old photos take you back?
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Is take back separable?

Take back is separable: take back the shirt, take the shirt back, take it back. When it means make you remember, the person goes in the middle: It takes me back.

In the remember meaning, add to and a time or place: This song takes me back to my first year at uni.

Verb tenses for take back

PresentI take back · she takes back
Pasttook back
Present perfecthave taken back
-ing formtaking back

Common mistakes with take back

What learners often say, and what to say instead.

  • Wrong: The lamp was broken, so I took back it.

    Right: The lamp was broken, so I took it back.

    A pronoun goes between take and back.

  • Wrong: I want to give back these shoes to the shop.

    Right: I want to take these shoes back to the shop.

    You take things back to a shop. You give things back to a person.

  • Wrong: Can I return back these jeans?

    Right: Can I take back these jeans?

    Return already means back, so say return or take back.

Synonyms and opposites of take back

Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.

Similar

Opposite

  • keepnot return something
  • stand bysay again that what you said is true

Take back quiz

Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.

  1. 1The kettle doesn’t work. I’ll ___ to the shop.

  2. 2Choose the right sentence.

  3. 3“Wow, this music takes me back!” What does the speaker mean?

More phrasal verbs with take

All phrasal verbs with take, by level, with an exercise

10 phrasal verbs start with take. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.

Test yourself on takeTake the full test

Take back FAQ

Questions people ask about take back.

What does I take it back mean?

It means I’m sorry I said that, and I don’t mean it now. People often say it quickly when a joke goes wrong.

What is the difference between take back and bring back?

Take back means carry something away from here to where it was. Bring back means carry it here: Take the plates back to the kitchen, then bring back the cake.

What is the past tense of take back?

Took back, and the past participle is taken back: Have you taken those books back yet?

Use take back in real conversations

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