1
as in to deny
to declare not to be true
disavowed the testimony that she had given earlier in the trial
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of disavow
The song remains controversial within the country; many politicians and ordinary South Africans disavow it.
—
Eve Sampson, New York Times, 22 May 2025
Meanwhile, Trump kept talking about making Canada the fifty-first state and refused to disavow the possibility of taking the Panama Canal by force.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
News of a possible sale by Shamrock to Swift was first reported by the New York Post, but a source close to the negotiations disavowed elements of that story, saying the price tag reported was grossly inflated, and that there was no involvement of Scooter Braun.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 30 May 2025
The university paid back taxes, lost its exemption, and continued its noxious policy against students interracially dating and marrying until the school’s leadership finally came to its senses and publicly disavowed the policy in 2000.
—Marie Sapirie, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for disavow
Eve Sampson, New York Times, 22 May 2025
Meanwhile, Trump kept talking about making Canada the fifty-first state and refused to disavow the possibility of taking the Panama Canal by force.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
News of a possible sale by Shamrock to Swift was first reported by the New York Post, but a source close to the negotiations disavowed elements of that story, saying the price tag reported was grossly inflated, and that there was no involvement of Scooter Braun.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 30 May 2025
The university paid back taxes, lost its exemption, and continued its noxious policy against students interracially dating and marrying until the school’s leadership finally came to its senses and publicly disavowed the policy in 2000.
—Marie Sapirie, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for disavow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disavow
Verb
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But the company denies claims that its equipment sparked the 2019 fire, which tore through Sylmar, Porter Ranch and Granada Hills — all suburbs of Los Angeles — burning 8,799 acres.—
Melody Petersen,
Los Angeles Times,
28 June 2025
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To many in the transgender community, the policy also felt like another attack by the current administration to erase them from public spaces and deny their existence.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
27 June 2025
Verb
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The film follows the young singer Seti, who refuses to accept the fact that women in Iran are not allowed to perform in public.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
25 June 2025
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Ragusa alleged in her suit that the city discriminated against her, as well as other female and minority candidates, by refusing to interview them for the job back when it was first advertised.—
Mike Hendricks,
Kansas City Star,
25 June 2025
Verb
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But Burton, the stepfather, refuted claims that Williams was violent toward his family.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
15 June 2025
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Reports on the ground refuted those characterizations.—
Jeremy Pressman,
The Conversation,
15 June 2025
Verb
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In response, Congress passed legislation seeking to limit a president's ability to wage war against Iran, which was again quickly rejected by Trump.—
Mariam Khan,
ABC News,
23 June 2025
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That kind of backlash prompted officials in La Mesa, Oceanside, Vista and Carlsbad to reject digital billboard proposals.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disavow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disavow. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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