ROLLING BACK Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

rolling back

verb

present participle of roll back

as in abolishing

to put an end to by formal action lobbyists for the industry pressured the legislators to roll back the new automotive safety standards

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of rolling back The worst idea is a finalized regulatory rule — rolling back fuel economy standards for automobiles that had been strengthened during the Biden administration. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026 The official who wrote the letter, Paul Guaglianone, said lifting sanctions against Dodik had led to Bosnian Serb separatists rolling back policies that would have destabilized Bosnia's government. — Emmet Lyons, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026 Lawmakers from both parties seemed eager at the beginning of the session to institute changes ranging from moratoriums on new developments to rolling back the lucrative tax breaks the state offers to lure facilities to Georgia in the first place. — Riley Bunch, AJC.com, 21 Sep. 2026 These included rolling back childhood vaccine requirements, threatening to demolish the Kennedy Center, and attacking mail-in voting. — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2026 By rolling back, or reducing, its levy rate by 65 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, the district effectively reduced homeowners’ taxes but passed up $22 million in extra revenue that year. — Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2026 Eight states have enacted legislation this year rolling back data center tax subsidies, with 17 more considering similar measures, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, cited by Politico. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026 But rolling back a climate law that isn’t the cause won’t fix it, and neither will a five-year reprieve for old power plants. — Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026 Tiffany is proposing freezing property taxes, rolling back other tax increases and increasing energy production. — Garrett Downs, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rolling back

Verb

Yet abolishing Greek life altogether is far from an easy proposition.

— Brittany Shammas, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
The administration initially talked about abolishing the agency, arguing that states and communities could deal with disasters on their own.

— Dana R. Fisher, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of abolishing

Verb

Demolishing universities, assaulting the press, violently resegregating the public sphere, ramming degenerative AI down our throats, incarcerating mere zine makers, the regime is systematically repealing the right to culture.

— Anna Kornbluh, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026
In contrast to Democrats, their agenda has included repealing no-excuse absentee balloting, banning the use of ballot drop boxes and instituting stronger voter identification requirements.

— Daniel J. Mallinson, The Conversation, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of repealing

Verb

Organizers have held discussions around allowing overseas executives to participate virtually, Reuters reported last week, and The Wall Street Journal said that some executives are already canceling meetings.

— Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Mission Control faced the prospect of aborting the landing, but Margaret's ingenious programming allowed the system to prioritize essential tasks while canceling the inessential ones.

— Dean Robbins, Space.com, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of canceling

Verb

The Supreme Court upheld the death sentence for Hasan in March 2025, striking down his final appeal well over a decade after his court-martial conviction.

— David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 8 Oct. 2026
The association later won a lawsuit, striking down the city of Berkeley’s ordinance and halting others across the state.

— Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of striking down

Verb

In these situations, withdrawing into a literal or symbolic dark room—avoiding sources of stress and going to a safe place—can be adaptive in the short term.

— Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Preserve local input while avoiding a patchwork of regulations, ensuring communities are protected and industry provides sufficient justification and incentives.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of avoiding

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rolling

rolling back

rolling out

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“Rolling back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rolling%20back. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of rolling back

verb

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