1
as in denying
to declare not to be true
disavowed the testimony that she had given earlier in the trial
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in refusing
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of disavowing
Activist groups seeking to pause or slow the development of AI are disavowing violence after a person with strong anti-AI views was accused of attacking Sam Altman’s San Francisco residence with a Molotov cocktail Friday.
—
Jared Perlo, NBC news, 15 Apr. 2026
When pressed on disavowing Piker’s controversial comments, El Sayed declined to distance himself from Piker.
—Sydney Topf, The Washington Examiner, 8 Apr. 2026
Pins disavowing the Iranian regime’s crackdown on protesters (that featured the outline of Iran with a ribbon) were passed out to attendees of the Academy Awards luncheon in February, and could possibly appear on the Oscars carpet.
—Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 5 Mar. 2026
This is all linked to amnesty and disavowing violence if Hamas people want to stay there.
—Mariam Khan, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2025
Some Republicans have no problem strongly disavowing the sentiment and calling for the members of the group to resign their positions.
—Emily Brooks, The Hill, 17 Oct. 2025
The network's president, Rebecca Kutler, subsequently released a statement disavowing Dowd's view.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2025
Since his primary victory, Mamdani has sought to broaden his political tent a bit by disavowing some of his past rhetoric that became fodder for his political opponents during the primary.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2025
In 2022, police showed up at his workplace and required him to sign a document renouncing his faith in Christianity and disavowing church participation.
—Ko Lyn Cheang, San Francisco Chronicle, 10 July 2025
Jared Perlo, NBC news, 15 Apr. 2026
When pressed on disavowing Piker’s controversial comments, El Sayed declined to distance himself from Piker.
—Sydney Topf, The Washington Examiner, 8 Apr. 2026
Pins disavowing the Iranian regime’s crackdown on protesters (that featured the outline of Iran with a ribbon) were passed out to attendees of the Academy Awards luncheon in February, and could possibly appear on the Oscars carpet.
—Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 5 Mar. 2026
This is all linked to amnesty and disavowing violence if Hamas people want to stay there.
—Mariam Khan, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2025
Some Republicans have no problem strongly disavowing the sentiment and calling for the members of the group to resign their positions.
—Emily Brooks, The Hill, 17 Oct. 2025
The network's president, Rebecca Kutler, subsequently released a statement disavowing Dowd's view.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2025
Since his primary victory, Mamdani has sought to broaden his political tent a bit by disavowing some of his past rhetoric that became fodder for his political opponents during the primary.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2025
In 2022, police showed up at his workplace and required him to sign a document renouncing his faith in Christianity and disavowing church participation.
—Ko Lyn Cheang, San Francisco Chronicle, 10 July 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disavowing
Verb
-
Organizations can also be barred for promoting what the agency calls delegitimization campaigns against Israel; for denying the existence of Israel as a democratic state; or for employing an officeholder who has called for a boycott of Israel.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
-
In March, the Eighth District Court of Appeals affirmed the ruling denying the 2024 petition.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Moreover, lawmakers are engaged in budget negotiations, where the House is refusing to fund several of DeSantis’ priorities.—
Gray Rohrer,
Sun Sentinel,
15 May 2026
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Former Representative Elizabeth Holtzman, one of the co-authors, has portrayed the act as a corrective to the moral failure of refusing entry to many Jewish refugees during the Holocaust.—
Annie Hylton,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
King’s break with Johnson was not about refuting his historic contributions.—
Mark Conway,
Baltimore Sun,
9 May 2026
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That’s not refuting the secrecy.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But the system kept rejecting it, saying my Colorado driver license wasn’t from the United States.—
Christopher Elliott,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026
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When Nita rebuffs the advances of the lightweight cad Christophe (who’s Pierre’s brother), that’s the one focused emotion in the movie — a woman rejecting workplace harassment.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disavowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disavowing. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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