Recant

/rɪˈkænt/ verb medium

To recant is to publicly take back something you once claimed to believe, usually under pressure or after a change of heart.

Facing the tribunal, the scientist was pressured to recant his earlier findings, though he privately still believed them true.

Memory Trick

Recant sounds like 're-can't' - you're now saying you can't stand by what you said before.