Synonyms of disavow

disavow

verb

ˌdis-ə-ˈvau̇ 

1

as in to deny

to declare not to be true

disavowed the testimony that she had given earlier in the trial

Synonyms & Similar Words

• deny
• refute
• reject
• contradict
• repudiate
• disclaim
• disallow
• disown
• negate
• disaffirm
• gainsay
• negative
• disconfirm
• traverse
• disprove
• rebut
• challenge
• disagree (with)
• dispute
• confute

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• acknowledge
• confirm
• allow
• admit
• accept
• own
• concede
• adopt
• embrace
• submit
• maintain
• claim
• assert
• affirm
• avow
• declare
• announce
• profess
• verify
• espouse
• validate
• substantiate
• aver
• corroborate
• authenticate

2

as in to refuse

to refuse to acknowledge as one's own or as one's responsibility

the government will disavow any knowledge of your mission

Synonyms & Similar Words

• deny
• refuse
• disown
• refute
• disclaim
• repudiate
• reject
• criticize
• contradict
• disallow
• disprove
• wash one's hands of
• gainsay
• renounce
• negate
• question
• retract
• rebut
• confute
• challenge
• recant
• abdicate
• abjure
• negative
• dispute

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• recognize
• acknowledge
• claim
• accept
• own
• adopt
• embrace
• admit
• grant
• submit
• avow
• concede
• maintain
• confess
• assert
• affirm
• declare
• announce
• confirm
• verify
• espouse
• validate
• substantiate
• profess
• aver
• corroborate
• authenticate

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of disavow

Rogers argued Sunday in an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash that El-Sayed never disavowed the Muslim Brotherhood. — Erin Cox, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2026

Market actors can innovate more freely, concentrating risk locally while allowing the state to disavow consequences should those experiments fail. — Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

El-Sayed has since disavowed Piker’s controversial statements and ended plans for joint campaigning, but has not categorically repudiated him nor apologized for appearing with him. — ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026

Savoray returned the next morning with printouts of news articles showing that Netanyahu was disavowing him. — Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026

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