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
As the administration’s immigration enforcement continues to provoke a national debate, the rare public disavowal by Miller’s cousin underscores how the far-reaching effects of federal policy can reverberate through private lives, fracturing even close family bonds.
—
Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 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
On display here is a crisis of disavowal, in which architects are relegated to playing mad scientists in a lab completely cut off from the world.
—Kate Wagner, Curbed, 5 Sep. 2025
Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 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
On display here is a crisis of disavowal, in which architects are relegated to playing mad scientists in a lab completely cut off from the world.
—Kate Wagner, Curbed, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disavowal
Noun
-
The venerable department store had long been in denial about the depth of its problems, said Spring, who took the reins of Macy’s Inc in early 2024 after a successful decade-long stint as CEO of its Bloomingdale’s division.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025
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Controversy grew over the Indonesian government's denial of visas to the Israeli national gymnastics team Saturday, when the President of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) spoke out about it.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Research shows that people who acknowledge or apologize for rejection risk activating the rejectee’s ire, rather than alleviating hurt feelings.—
Anna Holmes,
The Atlantic,
20 Oct. 2025
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And the ego needed to overcome shyness and stage fright collides with the endless rejection that defines the profession.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disavowal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disavowal. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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