Meaning & use
retake
Last updated
Meanings
verbtransitive
To take an exam or test again, usually because you failed or want a better score.
Grammar: Takes an object: retake an exam.
Patterns
- retake an exam
- retake a test
- retake a course
She decided to retake the driving test after failing it twice.
Students who miss the final exam can retake it in September.
He retook the SAT to improve his score.
verbtransitive
To take a photograph or film scene again, often because the first attempt was unsatisfactory.
Grammar: Takes an object: retake a photo.
Patterns
- retake a photo
- retake a scene
- retake a shot
The photographer asked the model to retake the picture because she blinked.
The director decided to retake the entire scene with different lighting.
We had to retake the video after the microphone failed.
verbtransitive
To capture or gain control of a place again, especially in a military conflict.
Grammar: Takes an object: retake a city.
Patterns
- retake a city
- retake territory
- retake control
The army launched an offensive to retake the occupied city.
Rebel forces retook the capital after weeks of fighting.
The government vowed to retake the lost territory.
nouncountable
An act of taking an exam, photograph, or scene again.
Grammar: Countable; often used with 'a' or 'the'.
Patterns
- a retake of an exam
- do a retake
- a retake of a scene
He passed the retake with a much higher score.
The film crew scheduled a retake for the following morning.
She was nervous about the retake of her final exam.
Word forms
| third person singular | retakes |
|---|---|
| past tense | retook |
| past participle | retaken |
| -ing form | retaking |
| plural | retakes |
Common combinations
- retake an exam
- You can retake the exam if you fail.
- retake a photograph
- The photographer wanted to retake the photograph in better light.
- retake a city
- The troops fought to retake the city from the rebels.
- do a retake
- The actor had to do a retake of the scene.
- retake control
- The manager hoped to retake control of the project.
Synonyms and how they differ
- resit
- British English, used mainly for exams; 'retake' is more common in American English and can also mean rephotographing or recapturing.
- rephotograph
- More specific and formal, only for taking a photograph again; 'retake' is broader.
- recapture
- Used for gaining control of a place again; 'retake' is more common in military contexts.
Word family
- retake noun
- An instance of taking something again.
Commonly confused: retake or retake?
retake vs retake
As a verb, the stress is on the second syllable: /ˌriːˈteɪk/. As a noun, the stress is on the first syllable: /ˈriːteɪk/.
Practice
She failed her history exam and needs to ______ it next month.
Choose one answer.
After 'to' we need the base form 'retake'. 'Retook' is past tense, 'retaking' is -ing form, and 'retaken' is past participle, so none fit the infinitive.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “retake”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.