apostatize

verb

Definition of apostatizenext
as in to renounce

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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 apostatize The conundrum is one that has nothing to do with Rodrigues’ decision whether to lay down his life, but with his reluctance to apostatize, even in the face of others’ deaths. — Michael O'Sullivan, The Denver Post, 6 Jan. 2017 In one of the more powerful sequences, three older men are hung from crosses positioned deep in the ocean’s waters — the thrashing waves killing them slowly for their refusal to apostatize. — Lindsey Bahr, Orange County Register, 6 Jan. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apostatize
  1. renounce
  2. forsake
  3. repudiate
  4. reject
  5. abandon
  6. abdicate
  7. disown
  8. quit
Verb
  • What follows are dozens of examples of how those whose names are familiar (or aren’t) and legendary (or infamous) for their actions while representing the state have been embraced (or renounced) by the rest of the country and beyond.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2026
  • If the Lakers renounce all their free agents except for Reaves, hacking their books with machete, the team would have Dončić, Jared Vanderbilt, Jake LaRavia, Dalton Knecht, Bronny James (partial guarantee) and Adou Theiro under contract.
    — Dan Woike, New York Times, 21 June 2026
Definition of renounce
Verb
  • Anguished and alone, Nick is similarly cast away, seemingly cursed to spend the rest of his days forsaken in his hometown, now a foreign land.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
  • Supporters of 2022 World Cup champions Argentina were among the most visible in Doha during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with some saving for four years and forsaking home-buying in order to make the trip.
    — Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Definition of forsake
Verb
  • In 2018, the court unequivocally repudiated its wartime decision that denigrated Japanese Americans.
    — Tom Campbell, Oc Register, 4 July 2026
  • Some of those decisions aligned with some unitary executive claims, but others directly repudiated them.
    — Graham G. Dodds, The Conversation, 30 June 2026
Definition of repudiate
Verb
  • Critics see it as another attempt to breathe life into claims that courts, investigators and election officials have repeatedly rejected — and another corrosive attempt to undermine faith in the state’s vote.
    — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 6 July 2026
  • Questioning, if not rejecting, established Christian doctrine, Ahab also comes to regard Moby Dick as the outward and visible sign, the physical embodiment of the indifference or, worse, utter malignity inherent in the universe.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
Definition of reject
Verb
  • According to the American Medical Association, 78% of physicians report that prior authorization delays have led patients to abandon recommended treatment.
    — Venkata Ramya Ganti, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • Later that day, deputies found her van abandoned in a field near Interstate 95, but Graham had seemingly vanished without a trace.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of abandon
Verb
  • Aemond is not going to back down, and Aegon has already ditched his plan to abdicate.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 June 2026
  • Edward shared the news of his engagement and plan to abdicate during a BBC radio broadcast in December 1936.
    — Ilana Frost, PEOPLE, 14 June 2026
Definition of abdicate
Verb
  • Some Sox fans claimed to disown the team back then, and now are jumping back on the bandwagon.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2026
  • He was also forced to disown his family.
    — Marlow Stern, Variety, 1 June 2026
Definition of disown
Verb
  • Herzog won a power struggle in the front office, then quit anyway, amid disputes with ownership.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • The much-ballyhooed heavyweight boxing match between Mike Tyson and Andrew Golota ends abruptly when Golota quits after the second round; later Golota is hospitalized with a concussion.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 July 2026
Definition of quit

Browse Nearby Words

apostates
apostatize
apostatized
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Cite this Entry

“Apostatize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apostatize. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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