Recant or contradict is a term used to describe the act of withdrawing or denying a previously held opinion or statement. It is often used in legal contexts, such as when a witness changes their testimony or when a defendant withdraws a plea. In this case, the crossword solution for the term is 'DENY, ' which is a four-letter word that means to refuse to accept or acknowledge something. By denying a previously held opinion or statement, one is essentially recanting or contradicting it.