What does "rollback" mean?
A return to a prior state by undoing some operation, especially of policy or price changes.
Rollback
noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·2 syllables ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A return to a prior state by undoing some operation, especially of policy or price changes.
- Grammar: rollback is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: abatement, agio, allowance, backset.
- Useful contrasts: civil progressions, more online media evolution, adoption.
- Usage evidence: The mining industry also had a hand in two other rollbacks. One was a decision to withdraw a Clinton rule that reduced by 80 percent the permissible standard for arsenic in drinking water.
How to use "rollback"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "rollback" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "rollback" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "rollback" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "rollback" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "rollback" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abatement" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "rollback", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A return to a prior state by undoing some operation, especially of policy or price changes. countable, uncountable
"The mining industry also had a hand in two other rollbacks. One was a decision to withdraw a Clinton rule that reduced by 80 percent the permissible standard for arsenic in drinking water."
- 2 reducing prices back to some earlier level wordnet
- 3 A withdrawal of military forces. countable, uncountable
- 4 the act of forcing the enemy to withdraw wordnet
- 5 An operation which returns a database, or group of records in a database, to a previous state (normally to the previous commit point). countable, uncountable
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 The situation where a rollercoaster fails to reach the top of a hill and instead rolls backward. countable, uncountable
- 7 A form of flatbed truck adapted or designed specifically as a tow truck or for transporting other vehicles. countable, informal, uncountable
- 8 The strategy of forcing a change in the major policies of a state, usually by replacing its ruling regime, or by totally annihilating an enemy's armed forces and occupying the country, as was done in World War II to Italy, Germany, and Japan. countable, uncountable
"During the 1990s the Pope, who played such a central role in the rollback of communism, was one of the few international figures who could be heard speaking out against the new capitalist order."
- 9 An uncommanded reduction in the thrust of a jet engine. countable, uncountable
"The data was examined with respect to oil pressure. This showed that both the left and right engines' oil pressure generally follow each other until the start of the final acceleration, which resulted in first the right and then the left engines rolling back. The left engine oil pressure rose, as expected, as the engine accelerated: the right engine pressure, however, started to decrease, even though the engine was also accelerating prior to its rollback. Whilst, this observation, on the right engine, was based on only a few data points, it can be inferred that this was due to an oil temperature increase at, or close to, the start of the final acceleration. However, the loss of QAR data so close to the left engine rollback meant that it was not possible to draw a similar conclusion for the left engine."
Verb
- 1 To return to the previous state. transitive
"The server is unstable, we need to rollback the changes."
- 2 To reduce thrust without having been commanded to do so. intransitive
"The first test involved placing the restriction immediately upstream of the FOHE. As it was known that the engine would almost certainly rollback during the first acceleration attempt, only the fourth accident acceleration was attempted: the rollback occurred as predicted. Testing was also conducted with the restriction at the LP pump inlet, with the rollback also occurring as predicted during the fourth acceleration."
Antonyms
Example
"The mining industry also had a hand in two other rollbacks. One was a decision to withdraw a Clinton rule that reduced by 80 percent the permissible standard for arsenic in drinking water."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "rollback"?
Common synonyms include: abatement, agio, allowance, backset, backsliding, backtracked.
How do you use "rollback" in a sentence?
The mining industry also had a hand in two other rollbacks. One was a decision to withdraw a Clinton rule that reduced by 80 percent the permissible standard for arsenic in drinking water.
Etymology
The noun is a deverbal from roll back. The verb is a back-formation from the noun despite being redundant to roll back.