extract
gb/ˈɛkstɹækt/ us/ˈɛkstɹækt/
B2
English
~ 5800
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B2
action
1
remove something from a larger whole
to take something out of something else, often carefully or with a tool or process
Usage pattern:
to extract [something] from [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "take out" in formal or technical contexts where "extract" is better, for example saying "take out oil from the ground" instead of "extract oil from the ground". Another common mistake is using the wrong preposition, such as "extract oil of the ground" instead of "extract oil from the ground".
Synonyms
remove (More general and common; does not suggest care or a special process as strongly as "extract".)
|
pull out (More informal and physical; often suggests using force rather than a method or process.)
Antonyms
insert (Means to put something into something else, which is the opposite of taking it out.)
|
leave in (Means not to remove something that is still inside or part of something.)
Collocations
extract a tooth
|extract juice
|extract oil
|extract minerals
|extract DNA
Themes
daily life
|health
|science
|daily_life
Examples
- The dentist had to extract one of her wisdom teeth.
- They use special machines to extract oil from deep under the sea.
- Heat is used to extract essential oils from the flowers.
- Engineers drilled into the rock to extract samples for testing.
- You can extract juice from the oranges with this press.
Learner examples
- The dentist will extract the bad tooth tomorrow.
- We use a machine to extract juice from apples.
- Scientists extract DNA from blood in the lab.
- They extract salt from sea water in this factory.
Verb
B2
action
2
get information or data from something
to get special information or data from a larger text, file, or set of information
Usage pattern:
to extract [information/data] from [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse "extract" with "copy" in this sense. "Copy" focuses on moving information, while "extract" focuses on selecting and getting only the useful or needed parts. Another mistake is saying "extract out" (double marking), which is usually unnecessary; "extract the data" is preferred over "extract out the data" in standard written English.
Synonyms
derive (More formal and academic; often used in mathematics and science when getting results from data.)
|
retrieve (Focuses on getting data back, especially from a computer system, rather than selecting part of a larger whole.)
Antonyms
input (Refers to putting data into a system, which is the opposite direction from taking data out of it.)
|
obscure (Means to make information less clear or harder to get, which opposes the idea of extracting clear information.)
Collocations
extract data
|extract information
|extract meaning
|extract insights
|extract features
Themes
technology
|business
|science
Examples
- The software can automatically extract names and dates from the documents.
- Researchers extracted useful insights from a huge amount of customer data.
- You can extract key points from the report and present them in a slide deck.
- The algorithm extracts features from the images before classification.
- Journalists tried to extract more details from the leaked files.
Learner examples
- The program extracts data from the main database.
- Please extract the main ideas from this article.
- This tool extracts email addresses from the text.
- Students had to extract facts from several online sources.
Verb
C1
action
3
obtain something with pressure or difficulty
to get something like money, a promise, or information from a person who does not want to give it, often by using strong pressure
Usage pattern:
to extract [something] from [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use only "get" in serious or formal contexts where the idea of pressure is important, for example "They got a confession" instead of "They extracted a confession". Another mistake is using "from" and "of" incorrectly, such as "extract a confession of him" instead of "extract a confession from him".
Synonyms
force (Stronger and more direct; clearly shows that power or threats are used to make someone do something.)
|
wring (Often used metaphorically in "wring something from someone"; emphasizes effort and resistance more than "extract".)
Antonyms
offer (Means to give something freely, which contrasts with getting something only with pressure.)
|
yield (When used about a person, it means to give in or give something without continued resistance, the opposite situation of needing to extract it.)
Collocations
extract a confession
|extract a promise
|extract concessions
|extract payment
|extract information
Themes
law
|conflict
|business
|relationships
Examples
- Police were accused of using torture to extract a confession.
- It was difficult to extract a clear answer from the spokesperson.
- Negotiators managed to extract several key concessions from the company.
- The tax office was finally able to extract full payment from the debtor.
- Journalists tried to extract more details from the reluctant witness.
Learner examples
- The lawyer said the police extracted the confession by force.
- I could not extract a simple yes or no from him.
- They tried to extract more money from the customer.
- Reporters extracted some information from the manager after the meeting.
Verb
formal
C1
action
4
select and copy part of a text
to take a part of a book, film, or other work and copy or show just that part
Usage pattern:
to extract [a passage/quote] from [a text]
Common mistake:
Learners often use only "copy" or "take" instead of "extract" in formal writing. "Extract" suggests that the piece is taken out of a larger work in a selective, purposeful way, especially in academic or publishing contexts.
Synonyms
excerpt (As a verb, slightly more formal and less common; strongly linked to literature and publishing.)
|
quote (Focuses on repeating someone’s exact words, often with quotation marks, rather than just taking any segment.)
Antonyms
include in full (Means to present the whole text rather than selecting only a part of it.)
Collocations
extract a passage
|extract a quote
|extract a paragraph
|extract a scene
|extract a section
Themes
education
|media
|literature
|communication
Examples
- The teacher extracted a short passage from the novel for the test.
- Editors extracted several key paragraphs from the report for the press release.
- The article extracts and explains key sentences from the new law.
- They extracted a few lines from the interview for use in the trailer.
- The researcher extracted relevant sections from dozens of articles.
Learner examples
- The book includes texts extracted from newspaper articles.
- The teacher extracted three parts from the story for us to read.
- I extracted two important sentences from the long email.
- The website extracts short pieces from longer blog posts.
Noun
B2
entity
5
concentrated substance from something
a strong form of something, often a liquid, made by taking the main part from a plant or other material
Usage pattern:
an extract of/from [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "extract" with "essence" in cooking. In many recipes these are similar, but product labels may use them differently. Another mistake is saying "*vanilla essence extract" together, which is redundant; usually you choose one term.
Synonyms
essence (Common in cooking and cosmetics; often suggests a strong fragrance or flavor rather than any type of active substance.)
|
concentrate (Focuses more on the high strength or density, especially in food and drinks, and may not involve removal of specific active components in a lab sense.)
Antonyms
dilution (A weaker form of a substance, made by adding liquid, which contrasts with a concentrated extract.)
Collocations
vanilla extract
|plant extract
|herbal extract
|yeast extract
|liquid extract
Themes
food
|health
|science
|food_drink
Examples
- Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the cake batter.
- The cream contains a natural plant extract that soothes the skin.
- Researchers tested the antibacterial effect of the herb extract.
- This drink is made with coffee extract rather than fresh coffee.
- The supplement is a concentrated extract of green tea leaves.
Learner examples
- I put some vanilla extract in the cookies.
- The soap has a flower extract in it.
- This medicine is made from a plant extract.
- They sell a garlic extract in the health shop.
Noun
formal
B2
entity
6
short passage from a longer work
a small part of a book, film, or other work taken out and shown alone
Usage pattern:
an extract from [a book/film/report]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say "*a part of text" when they mean a selected part used on its own. In exams and textbooks, "an extract from the text" is the more natural phrase.
Synonyms
excerpt (Very close in meaning; often slightly more formal and common in academic or publishing contexts.)
|
passage (A more general word for a part of a text; does not always imply it has been taken out of a larger work for separate use.)
Antonyms
full text (Refers to the complete work, which contrasts with a selected part of it.)
Collocations
an extract from the novel
|short extract
|read an extract
|publish an extract
|audio extract
Themes
education
|literature
|media
|arts_entertainment
|communication
Examples
- The exam included an extract from a modern novel.
- We listened to a short extract from the interview.
- The magazine published an extract from her upcoming book.
- Students were asked to analyze an extract from the speech.
- This extract comes from the final chapter of the report.
Learner examples
- The teacher gave us an extract from a story.
- We read a short extract from a newspaper article.
- This extract is from chapter two of the book.
- The website has an audio extract from the show.
Grammar
Dictionary form
extract
IPA
GB/ˈɛkstɹækt/
US/ˈɛkstɹækt/
Syllables & stress
ex - tract (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (ex)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: extract
- Plural: extract, extracts
Verb
- Base: extract
- 3rd Person Singular: extracts
- Present Participle: extracting
- Past: extracted
Word family
Forms
extracts
noun
extracting
verb
extracted
verb
Core family
extraction
noun B2
Related words
extractor
noun
extractable
adjective
Advanced or less common
extractive
adjective
Expressions
an extract from
1/ən ˈɛkstɹækt fɹˈʌm/
fixed phrase
formal
short piece from a longer work
a small part of a book, film, or other work that is taken out and shown alone
Examples
- The test includes an extract from a newspaper article.
- We listened to an extract from the director’s new film.
- Students had to write about an extract from the speech.
data extraction
1/dˈætə ɛkstɹˈækʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
process of taking data from systems
the process of getting data from files, websites, or other computer systems so you can use it
Examples
- The company uses automated data extraction to update its reports.
- Data extraction from the old system took several weeks.
- Good data extraction tools save analysts a lot of time.
extract a confession
1/ɛkstɹˈækt ə kənfˈɛʃən/
fixed phrase
force someone to confess
to make someone say they did something wrong, often by using strong pressure or threats
Examples
- The officers were accused of using violence to extract a confession.
- It took hours of questioning to extract a confession from the suspect.
- They tried to extract a confession, but he stayed silent.
extract from
1/ˈɛkstɹækt fɹˈʌm/
fixed phrase
remove something from a source
to take something out of something else, often using a tool or process
Examples
- They extract oil from deep under the ground.
- The machine extracts juice from the oranges in a few seconds.
- Doctors extracted a small piece of tissue from the patient for testing.
herbal extract
1/ˈɚbəl ˈɛkstɹækt/
fixed phrase
concentrated substance from herbs
a strong liquid or powder made from herbs, often used in medicine or cosmetics
Examples
- The cream contains a calming herbal extract.
- Many supplements are made from herbal extracts.
- This shampoo includes an herbal extract to reduce dryness.
resource extraction
1/ɹˈisɔɹs ɛkstɹˈækʃən/
fixed phrase
taking natural resources from the earth
the process of taking oil, gas, minerals, or other natural materials from the land or sea
Examples
- The area has long depended on resource extraction for jobs.
- Uncontrolled resource extraction can damage the environment.
- New laws aim to make resource extraction more sustainable.
vanilla extract
1/vənˈɪlə ˈɛkstɹækt/
fixed phrase
vanilla-flavored liquid for cooking
a strong liquid with vanilla taste, used to give flavor when you cook
Examples
- Add a little vanilla extract to the mixture.
- She prefers real vanilla extract to artificial flavoring.
- The recipe calls for one teaspoon of vanilla extract.
tooth extraction
1/tˈuθ ɛkstɹˈækʃən/
fixed phrase
dental removal of a tooth
the act of taking a tooth out of someone’s mouth, usually done by a dentist
Examples
- The dentist said I might need a tooth extraction.
- The dentist said a tooth extraction was the only option.
- He was nervous about his upcoming tooth extraction.
- I was nervous about my wisdom tooth extraction next week.
- After the tooth extraction, you should eat only soft food.
- After the tooth extraction, you should not eat hard food for a few days.