1
as in denied
to declare not to be true
he steadfastly disowned that he was having an affair
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in refused
to refuse to acknowledge as one's own or as one's responsibility
the dictatorial father angrily disowned his rebellious son
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disowned
That candidate, Bushra Amiwala, disowned the support and condemned the ad, widely seen as an attempt to siphon voters from another young progressive, Kat Abughazaleh.
—
David Daley, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
Everyone is looking for the next Sam Darnold, and there might not be a better candidate than Jones — the 2021 first-round pick disowned by a team in the AFC East only to spend a year with the 49ers before blossoming elsewhere.
—Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Glen Powell plays a charming guy disowned by his wealthy family when he was born.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2026
When Mary won’t give up the baby, she’s disowned by patriarch Whitelaw (Ed Harris) and exiled to New Jersey from her family’s palatial Long Island estate.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
Becket is broke, disowned and circling a family fortune that never wanted him.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 18 Feb. 2026
They may be cut off from financial resources, disowned, or stripped of personal property and communal safety nets.
—Literary Hub, 18 Feb. 2026
At the end of her remarks Monday, McCarthy told the court that Mykkanen’s family has disowned Garner.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2026
Both have been associated with Epstein, but both have since disowned those friendships.
—CBS News, 20 Dec. 2025
David Daley, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
Everyone is looking for the next Sam Darnold, and there might not be a better candidate than Jones — the 2021 first-round pick disowned by a team in the AFC East only to spend a year with the 49ers before blossoming elsewhere.
—Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Glen Powell plays a charming guy disowned by his wealthy family when he was born.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2026
When Mary won’t give up the baby, she’s disowned by patriarch Whitelaw (Ed Harris) and exiled to New Jersey from her family’s palatial Long Island estate.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
Becket is broke, disowned and circling a family fortune that never wanted him.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 18 Feb. 2026
They may be cut off from financial resources, disowned, or stripped of personal property and communal safety nets.
—Literary Hub, 18 Feb. 2026
At the end of her remarks Monday, McCarthy told the court that Mykkanen’s family has disowned Garner.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2026
Both have been associated with Epstein, but both have since disowned those friendships.
—CBS News, 20 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disowned
Verb
-
The guilty plea was a stunning reversal for Heuermann who, according to his lawyer, tearfully denied being responsible for the killings after his arrest in 2023.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
-
The court filings said that Roa denied any involvement in the conspiracy.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
One, Sam Hentges, apparently refused to wear it at all, appearing in the traditional cap the Giants wear the other 161 games.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
-
Sojourner Truth refused to be defined by the stereotypes society tried to construct about her.—
Jocelyn Frye,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
Officials in Hood County, Texas, for example, rejected a proposal for a six-month moratorium after a state senator urged the Texas attorney general to intervene and prevent the measure.—
Rachel Mural,
The Conversation,
18 June 2026
-
New Delhi, however, rejected the claim, insisting the ceasefire was the result of direct bilateral talks with Pakistan.—
Kyra Colah,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
After her daughter's murder, Franchetti began a grassroots movement to rewrite family court law, but the legislation was held up by legal language that might have greenlighted hearsay allegations or the potential for false claims that couldn't be refuted.—
Jennifer McLogan,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
-
That same year, Patricia Richardson refuted the possibility of returning to the characters while appearing on the Back to the Best podcast.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disowned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disowned. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
