as in denial
a refusal to confirm the truth of a statement
the mayor's disavowal of the rumor that a terrorist threat had been received put our minds at rest
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Recent Examples of disavowal
Pelicot is troubled by her children’s immediate disavowal of their father, of their entire childhood.
—
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2026
But with Rourke’s strong disavowal, Hines also wanted to assure fans that there was nothing shady about the GoFundMe.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 6 Jan. 2026
The 2025 version manages just eight mentions, including a sharp disavowal.
—Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
Nile is skeletal like Jared Kushner; his thinness is foreboding, marking a disavowal of all that is sensual.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2025
Mamdani initially tried to stay on-message, offering a quick disavowal of an unsavory association or controversial past statement and pivoting back his agenda.
—Ben Adler, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025
The post marks a significant shift from the President’s past disavowals of the unpopular right-wing policy blueprint, which was created by conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation ahead of the 2024 election.
—Connor Greene, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
Anderson saw something in the artist formerly known as Marky Mark, who’d only made the transition from musical artist to actor three years earlier, that Wahlberg still doesn’t see in himself, if his disavowal of the movie is any indication.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
But the new wave of disavowals represents the latest sign that the conflict, which has killed thousands of Palestinians, has become polarizing within the mainstream of the party.
—David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2026
But with Rourke’s strong disavowal, Hines also wanted to assure fans that there was nothing shady about the GoFundMe.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 6 Jan. 2026
The 2025 version manages just eight mentions, including a sharp disavowal.
—Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
Nile is skeletal like Jared Kushner; his thinness is foreboding, marking a disavowal of all that is sensual.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2025
Mamdani initially tried to stay on-message, offering a quick disavowal of an unsavory association or controversial past statement and pivoting back his agenda.
—Ben Adler, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025
The post marks a significant shift from the President’s past disavowals of the unpopular right-wing policy blueprint, which was created by conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation ahead of the 2024 election.
—Connor Greene, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
Anderson saw something in the artist formerly known as Marky Mark, who’d only made the transition from musical artist to actor three years earlier, that Wahlberg still doesn’t see in himself, if his disavowal of the movie is any indication.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
But the new wave of disavowals represents the latest sign that the conflict, which has killed thousands of Palestinians, has become polarizing within the mainstream of the party.
—David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disavowal
Noun
-
Now after the denial of DeMore, the Parole Board still does not have a member with a prosecutorial background.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
7 June 2026
-
Friedkin, who died in 2023 and is seen only in archival interviews, now seems disingenuous in some of his denials that the film was exploitative, especially with regard to the murder that inspired it.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
New relationships will inevitably open up old wounds like abandonment and rejection.—
Sabrina Romanoff,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
-
Demie worked closely with the show’s makeup and wardrobe stylists to craft Maddy’s look, helping the character evolve from someone obsessed with being the perfect girlfriend in the first half of Season 1, to a bolder, hyper-feminine rejection of the softness her boyfriend had expected of her.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disavowal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disavowal. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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