renege

verb

re·​nege ri-ˈneg 

also -ˈnāg, 

-ˈnig 

rē-

reneged; reneging

intransitive verb

1

: to go back on a promise or commitment

2

: revoke

3

obsolete : to make a denial

transitive verb

: deny, renounce

reneger noun

Synonyms of renege

• withdraw
• recall
• back out
• back down
• retract

Examples of renege in a Sentence

They had promised to pay her tuition but later reneged.

my so-called best friend promised to help me move, only to renege come Saturday morning

Recent Examples on the Web

And though the president reneged on an initiative to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz hours after Rubio touted it to the press, Rubio's performance elicited largely rave reviews on the political right. —Justin Papp, CNBC, 6 May 2026

None of that happens if Lesch’s shoulder had held on or if the Dodgers had reneged on their deal. —Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026

Musk alleged in his civil lawsuit that OpenAI, Altman, and OpenAI President Greg Brockman reneged on the AI company's founding agreement by prioritizing profit over a promise to keep OpenAI as a nonprofit dedicated to human progress. —CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026

According to Gelb, Saudi authorities cited economic woes caused by the Iran War and the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz as behind their decision to renege. —News Desk, Artforum, 24 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin renegare

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for renege

• big
• brig
• brigg
• dig
• fig
• gig
• jig
• mig
• pig
• prig
• rig
• sprig

Kids Definition

renege

verb

re·​nege ri-ˈnig  -ˈneg 

-ˈnēg, 

-ˈnāg

reneged; reneging

1

: deny

2

: to go back on a promise or agreement

reneged on paying the debt

reneger noun