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 But then, the Hamiltons alleged that the Justice Department reneged on the contract, stole their software and plotted to drive their company into bankruptcy. Lynsey Eidell, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024 In 2019, pro-democracy protests swept Hong Kong, fueled by perceptions that Beijing was tightening its reins and reneging on its promise of a high degree of autonomy for the city. Chris Lau, CNN, 24 Feb. 2024 Trump’s outraged critics say that even the threat of reneging on NATO’s central promise could see Putin attack a smaller Eastern European country, if the Russian president thought there was a good chance Washington might not send the cavalry. Alexander Smith, NBC News, 12 Feb. 2024 In Tanya’s eyes, Belinda is a miracle worker, and Tanya initially offered to bankroll a spa for her before reneging on the deal. Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 18 Jan. 2024 But just a few weeks after announcing that decision, the company reneged in response to political pressure. Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 21 Feb. 2024 Just over a year ago, protesters clashed with police at the world’s biggest iPhone factory in Zhengzhou, as anger boiled over against Foxconn for reneging on promises to increase pay and benefits to attract workers back after the pandemic. Laura He, CNN, 20 Feb. 2024 During the Korean War, for instance, Soviet air support for Chinese forces was not forthcoming despite promises from Moscow, and in the 1960s, the Soviet Union reneged on commitments to lend its nuclear expertise to China. Oriana Skylar Mastro, Foreign Affairs, 19 Feb. 2024 After being elected in 2016, Trump reneged on a promise to release his tax returns. Salvador Rizzo, Washington Post, 29 Jan. 2024

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 19 Mar. 2024.

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

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