1
as in to deny
to declare not to be true
vigorously repudiated the charge that she had lied on her résumé
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2
as in to refuse
to refuse to acknowledge as one's own or as one's responsibility
the angry mother bitterly repudiated her teenaged daughter, telling her that she never wanted to see or hear from her again
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3
as in to reject
to show unwillingness to accept, do, engage in, or agree to
we didn't like the terms, so we repudiated the contract
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4
as in to renounce
to solemnly or formally reject or go back on (as something formerly adhered to)
the producers of the hit TV show threatened to take the disgruntled actor to court if he attempted to repudiate his contract
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Recent Examples of repudiate
Fujimori sought to reassure voters by emphasizing democratic commitments and acknowledging abuses committed under her father’s government, though without fully repudiating his legacy.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 May 2026
Cracks in church-state wall In his latest I-am-the-law crusade, Uthmeier is repudiating one of the most fundamental aspects of our democracy, the separation of church and state.
—Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2026
For the Supreme Court to do so would require it to repudiate the Constitution’s text, the Court’s own precedents, and the enduring understanding of all three branches and of the American people.
—David Cole, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Although the election was largely symbolic—the Texas legislature is currently not in session, and the candidates will run again in November—it was widely seen as evidence that voters were repudiating the current Republican agenda.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for repudiate
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 May 2026
Cracks in church-state wall In his latest I-am-the-law crusade, Uthmeier is repudiating one of the most fundamental aspects of our democracy, the separation of church and state.
—Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2026
For the Supreme Court to do so would require it to repudiate the Constitution’s text, the Court’s own precedents, and the enduring understanding of all three branches and of the American people.
—David Cole, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Although the election was largely symbolic—the Texas legislature is currently not in session, and the candidates will run again in November—it was widely seen as evidence that voters were repudiating the current Republican agenda.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for repudiate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repudiate
Verb
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Beijing broadly denies providing weapons to countries in conflict.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
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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.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
20 June 2026
Verb
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Though the indignity ran deep, our ancestors refused to bow.—
John E. Jackson Sr,
Chicago Tribune,
16 June 2026
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Some of The View's live studio audience members welcomed Vice President JD Vance to the Hot Topics table by refusing to applaud.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 June 2026
Verb
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Israel’s request to see the text was rejected by the US, an Israeli source told CNN.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
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The legal case, decided at an emergency hearing in a Los Angeles courthouse on Monday morning, was brought by an Iranian fan who said FIFA’s block impinged freedom of speech, but the judge rejected that argument.—
Henry Bushnell,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
Verb
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Jafarzadeh highlighted Khabiri as a symbol of the regime’s repression of athletes, as Khabiri was a rising soccer star who became captain of Iran’s national team before being arrested and asked to appear on television to renounce his political beliefs.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
10 June 2026
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Her first book, Notes on a Foreign Country (2018), seeks to take stock of, and renounce, American solipsism abroad.—
Suzy Hansen,
The New York Review of Books,
6 June 2026
Verb
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Two other retired judges later published their own piece refuting Gilliard’s contention.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
14 June 2026
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Fortunately, video replay allows people to validate—or refute—a referee’s decision.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
13 June 2026
Verb
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In 2023, the year after five Tampa Bay Rays players declined to wear rainbow logos for Pride Night, Manfred said the league would no longer compel players to do so.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
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Factors such as declining birth rates and families moving out of the city are contributing to declining enrollment at Denver Public Schools.—
Chierstin Roth,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
Verb
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The ceasefire in the MOU extends to a halt in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, requiring Israel to withdraw from Lebanon under a final deal that Trump hopes to reach within 60 days.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
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Garcia said some students have disengaged from campus life or withdrawn from classes altogether.—
Valentina Toro,
Hartford Courant,
19 June 2026
Verb
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One of his Greenlandic colleagues offered his own thoughts, then similarly retracted, lest his assertions affect Greenland’s new position of leverage.—
Ben Taub,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
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The farm retracted those statements five days later, but continued to dispute the cause of the outbreak and contest the agency’s findings.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Repudiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repudiate. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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