Synonyms of invalidate

invalidate

verb

(ˌ)in-ˈva-lə-ˌdāt 

as in to abolish

to put an end to by formal action

those nations eventually invalidated their trade agreement

Synonyms & Similar Words

• abolish
• repeal
• cancel
• overturn
• nullify
• avoid
• void
• negate
• vacate
• annul
• rescind
• abrogate
• revoke
• dismiss
• quash
• dissolve
• withdraw
• set aside
• null
• suspend
• roll back
• strike down
• abate
• reject
• reverse
• retract
• veto
• overrule
• override
• disannul
• do away with
• remove
• eliminate
• forbid
• prohibit
• recall
• erase
• ban
• abort
• countermand
• enjoin
• disallow
• call off
• outlaw
• eradicate
• call
• annihilate
• liquidate
• drop
• throw out
• write off
• break down

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• enact
• establish
• found
• legislate
• lay down
• validate
• legitimate
• institute
• pass
• permit
• authorize
• allow
• approve
• ratify
• warrant
• endorse
• legitimize
• order
• prescribe
• legalize
• formalize
• clear
• command
• sanction
• indorse
• mandate
• decree

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb invalidate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of invalidate are abrogate, annul, negate, and nullify. While all these words mean "to deprive of effective or continued existence," invalidate implies making something powerless or unacceptable by declaration of its logical or moral or legal unsoundness.

the court invalidated the statute

How are the words abrogate and annul related as synonyms of invalidate?

Abrogate is like annul but more definitely implies a legal or official act.

a law to abrogate trading privileges

When is annul a more appropriate choice than invalidate?

The meanings of annul and invalidate largely overlap; however, annul suggests making ineffective or nonexistent often by legal or official action.

the treaty annuls all previous agreements

When could negate be used to replace invalidate?

Although the words negate and invalidate have much in common, negate implies the destruction or canceling out of each of two things by the other.

the arguments negate each other

When can nullify be used instead of invalidate?

While the synonyms nullify and invalidate are close in meaning, nullify implies counteracting completely the force, effectiveness, or value of something.

a penalty nullified the touchdown

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of invalidate

The Supreme Court on Monday turned away American Airlines’s bid to reverse a lower court ruling invalidating the carrier’s alliance with JetBlue in the Northeast. —Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 30 June 2025

In 2021, California courts invalidated Proposition B on procedural grounds — because the city had not met and conferred with labor unions before placing it on the ballot. —John J Roach Iii, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025

The repeal—if it is finalized and also, given the inevitable lawsuits, upheld by the courts—would invalidate several sets of Biden-era regulations aimed at reducing emissions from vehicles and power plants. —Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025

The first guidance essentially invalidated the collective business model and allowed for any deal from a collective to be denied. —Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 31 July 2025