1
as in denying
to declare not to be true
he steadfastly disowned that he was having an affair
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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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The two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers enter the year heavy favorites to repeat, but several clubs have loaded up in hopes of denying the Dodgers a three-peat.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
21 Mar. 2026
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Before his killing, Naini issued a statement denying the Israeli prime minister's claim that Iran's missile production has been decimated.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Trump has broadly defended his aggressive deportation campaign and blamed local officials for refusing to cooperate.—
Suryatapa Chakraborty,
Dallas Morning News,
26 Mar. 2026
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Douglas said some providers fear losing positions or facing consequences for refusing to treat patients or perform actions that violate their ethical principles.—
Lucas Aulbach,
Louisville Courier Journal,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Owens made the case that under the stadium incentive package approved by lawmakers in 2024 and the tentative STAR bond agreement negotiated by Toland on behalf of the state, rejecting the sports authority bill would only give the executive branch more control over the project.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2026
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They are socialized in a world of makeup tutorials, fashion magazines, and objectifying advertisements—not to mention feminist commentary and pop songs about rejecting or healthily navigating image standards.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Late in the evening, the sheriff's office posted that no injuries or deaths had been reported from the storm, refuting social media rumors.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA TODAY,
11 Mar. 2026
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But the company is refuting the claims.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disowning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disowning. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.
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