1
as in denying
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 refusing
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
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Recent Examples of disowning
In September 2025, it was revealed that Ferguson sent an email to Epstein apologizing for publicly disowning him in a March 2011 interview with the Evening Standard.
—
Stephanie Petit,
PEOPLE,
3 Feb. 2026
The pastor approaches the line without fully disenchanting; a magician drawing attention to the trick without disowning its power.
—
Sam Kestenbaum,
Vulture,
2 Jan. 2026
Emails published on the Mail on Sunday revealed Ferguson apologized to Epstein weeks after publicly disowning him, back in 2011.
—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
30 Nov. 2025
Extended family members of White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller are disowning him, according to his cousin.
—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
Maximum Overdrive, the only movie that King directed, is eligible… but King himself joined the chorus of harsh critics, disowning it and never again returning to the director’s chair .
—
James Grebey,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Stephanie Petit,
PEOPLE,
3 Feb. 2026
The pastor approaches the line without fully disenchanting; a magician drawing attention to the trick without disowning its power.
—
Sam Kestenbaum,
Vulture,
2 Jan. 2026
Emails published on the Mail on Sunday revealed Ferguson apologized to Epstein weeks after publicly disowning him, back in 2011.
—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
30 Nov. 2025
Extended family members of White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller are disowning him, according to his cousin.
—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
Maximum Overdrive, the only movie that King directed, is eligible… but King himself joined the chorus of harsh critics, disowning it and never again returning to the director’s chair .
—
James Grebey,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disowning
Verb
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But there’s no denying McIlroy was looking sleek with his Masters jacket, which was accompanied by a white shirt and green tie to match.
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Responsible leadership means proactively preparing the enterprise workforce for this imminent organizational down-sizing and structural workplace transition rather than denying its clear historical inevitability.
Verb
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The lawsuit states that Kuka has singlehandedly caused irreparable harm to Boca View by refusing to abide by Florida law and the association’s own bylaws in order to further her self-serving agenda.
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While his blunt and disruptive approach can alienate others, the character illustrates that disruptive leaders often accelerate innovation by asking questions and refusing to accept the status quo.
Verb
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As with any tax relief company, there are complaints about the IRS rejecting a settlement or the company not getting enough relief.
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Florida leads the nation with 375 active 287(g) agreements, and Attorney General James Uthmeier has previously threatened officials in Fort Myers and Key West with removal from office for rejecting such deals.
Verb
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The Whitney Houston estate is refuting Oprah Winfrey recalling that the late singer was high and fell off the stage during an appearance on her talk show.
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Two other retired judges later published their own piece refuting Gilliard’s contention.
Cite this Entry
“Disowning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disowning. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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