To take back or publicly deny a previous statement or belief that one previously supported or held.
From Latin 'recantare,' combining 're-' meaning back and 'cantare' meaning to sing. Originally meant to sing back or retract publicly.
Galileo never recanted about Earth moving (despite legend), but the word itself captures religious drama—imagine standing before judges forced to deny what you know is true, or finally admitting you were wrong.
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