撤 means “withdraw, remove, retract”

てつ · tetsu

Also: disarm, dismantle

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

テツ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 15 strokes

The story

The same 育 and 攵 as 徹, but with a hand (扌) in place of steps: taking things back. 撤退 is a retreat, 撤回 is taking back what you said, and bikes left too long outside a station face 撤去, removal.

Used in 撤回 (tekkai, retraction), 撤退 (tettai, withdrawal/retreat), and 撤去 (tekkyo, removal)

More from Block & Refuse

• 抑 suppress
• 拒 refuse
• 棄 abandon
• 却 send back
• 控 refrain
• 排 expel
• 抵 resist
• 阻 obstruct
• 妨 hinder
• 遮 block
• 罷 dismiss
• 斥 repel

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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.