1
as in to deny
to declare not to be true
he steadfastly disowned that he was having an affair
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to refuse
to refuse to acknowledge as one's own or as one's responsibility
the dictatorial father angrily disowned his rebellious son
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disown
Glen Powell plays a charming guy disowned by his wealthy family when he was born.
—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
20 Feb. 2026
When Mary won’t give up the baby, she’s disowned by patriarch Whitelaw (Ed Harris) and exiled to New Jersey from her family’s palatial Long Island estate.
—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
Becket is broke, disowned and circling a family fortune that never wanted him.
—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
18 Feb. 2026
They may be cut off from financial resources, disowned, or stripped of personal property and communal safety nets.
—
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disown
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
20 Feb. 2026
When Mary won’t give up the baby, she’s disowned by patriarch Whitelaw (Ed Harris) and exiled to New Jersey from her family’s palatial Long Island estate.
—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
Becket is broke, disowned and circling a family fortune that never wanted him.
—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
18 Feb. 2026
They may be cut off from financial resources, disowned, or stripped of personal property and communal safety nets.
—
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disown
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disown
Verb
-
Beijing broadly denies providing weapons to countries in conflict.
-
Achraf Hakimi, Morocco’s superstar captain, was denied by Gunn after receiving a similar entry pass from Diaz, then zipped a shot from outside the box straight at the Scotland keeper.
Verb
-
While prosecution witnesses have refused to delineate between the Lachman and Palisades blazes, Haney has repeatedly described them as two distinct incidents that ignited days apart.
-
After a May debate, Smullen refused to shake his opponent's hand.
Verb
-
Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez rejected those motions.
-
Goldman has drawn criticism for refusing to reject support from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobbying group.
Verb
-
Two other retired judges later published their own piece refuting Gilliard’s contention.
-
Fortunately, video replay allows people to validate—or refute—a referee’s decision.
Cite this Entry
“Disown.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disown. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
