renege

verb

re·​nege ri-ˈneg How to pronounce renege (audio)
 also  -ˈnāg,
-ˈnig;
rē- How to pronounce renege (audio)
reneged; reneging

intransitive verb

1
: to go back on a promise or commitment
2
: revoke
3
obsolete : to make a denial
reneger noun

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 Special counsel appointed in Hunter Biden case as plea deal reaches 'impasse' Aug. 14, 2023 Attorneys for Hunter Biden say in a court filing that federal prosecutors reneged on the plea deal that would have resolved tax and gun charges against Hunter Biden. Lucien Bruggeman, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2023 By then, the Catholic Monarchs had also reneged on their vow of religious freedom. Tony Perrottet, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Aug. 2023 Perhaps Ohtani wouldn’t have been reckless with his arm health, Trout wouldn’t have rushed back from injury, Minasian wouldn’t have held onto Ohtani at the trade deadline and Moreno wouldn’t have reneged on his announcement to sell the team. Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2023 Hunter Biden's lawyers on Sunday accused Weiss of reneging on a key part of the deal — his agreement to participate in a diversion program for gun offenders. Harold Maass, The Week, 15 Aug. 2023 Europe's foremost human-rights organization and aid groups condemned the move as reneging on international commitments. Raf Casert The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 31 Aug. 2023 Federal prosecutors reneged on a deal that would have resolved tax and gun charges against President Biden’s son, attorneys for Hunter Biden said in a new court filing. Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2023 An email from Rebecca Tepper, Governor Maura Healey’s secretary of the executive office of energy and environmental affairs, stated that the Cambridge City Council had reneged on its support for the Saturday extension. Maliya Ellis, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Aug. 2023 Germany has reportedly reneged on its pledge to meet NATO’s defense spending target. Danielle Wallace, Fox News, 17 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'renege.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin renegare

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of renege was in 1548

Dictionary Entries Near renege

Cite this Entry

“Renege.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/renege. Accessed 27 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

renege

verb
re·​nege ri-ˈnig How to pronounce renege (audio) -ˈneg How to pronounce renege (audio)
-ˈnēg,
-ˈnāg
reneged; reneging
1
: deny
2
: to go back on a promise or agreement
reneged on paying the debt
reneger noun

More from Merriam-Webster on renege

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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