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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

row back en · NOUN

Pronunciation

Meanings

  1. (alt-of, alternative) Alternative form of row-back.
    alt of row-back

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
row backs Number=Plur lexicographic

Relateds

roll back

row back en · VERB

Pronunciation

Meanings

  1. (UK, idiomatic) To change or revise a previous opinion or decision.
    • Labour has rowed back from a plan for new rolling stock to be procured and owned in the public sector - with the party's rail spokesman saying it is not a priority. 2022 October 5, “Network News: Private sector's role in a publicly-owned railway”, in RAIL, number 967, page 16:
    • Indeed, part of the problem was that Armstrong was rowing back on so much previous behaviour and years of aggressive lambasting of reporters, officials and team-mates who had claimed he was doping. "I don't forgive Lance Armstrong, who lied to me in two interviews. And I suspect most of America won't, either," Kurtz wrote. 2013 January 19, Paul Harris, “Lance Armstrong faces multi-million dollar legal challenges after confession”, in The Guardian:
    • Speaking to the Guardian in one of his first campaign interviews, Timmermans said the UK government was one of the countries rowing back on green pledges. 2023 October 10, Senay Boztas, “Frans Timmermans urges European left to unite against right’s climate backlash”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
rows back Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
rowing back Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
rowed back Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
rowed back Tense=Past lexicographic

Deriveds

row-back