negate

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as in to discredit
to think not to be true or real you simply can't negate your feelings for someone, even if they don't feel the same way about you

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb negate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of negate are abrogate, annul, invalidate, and nullify. While all these words mean "to deprive of effective or continued existence," negate implies the destruction or canceling out of each of two things by the other.

the arguments negate each other

How do abrogate and annul relate to one another, in the sense of negate?

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

a law to abrogate trading privileges

When is it sensible to use annul instead of negate?

The words annul and negate can be used in similar contexts, but annul suggests making ineffective or nonexistent often by legal or official action.

the treaty annuls all previous agreements

When could invalidate be used to replace negate?

The synonyms invalidate and negate are sometimes interchangeable, but invalidate implies making something powerless or unacceptable by declaration of its logical or moral or legal unsoundness.

the court invalidated the statute

When might nullify be a better fit than negate?

In some situations, the words nullify and negate are roughly equivalent. However, nullify implies counteracting completely the force, effectiveness, or value of something.

a penalty nullified the touchdown

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 negate But that doesn’t negate the fact Maye has raised the Patriots’ ceiling. Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025 But while his strategy is working well negating Ohtani, the Brewers have their own problems. Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 17 Oct. 2025 But these complaints do not negate the actual successes of inflation, nor its ability to make truly generic predictions. Big Think, 14 Oct. 2025 Reed had a costly penalty that negated a touchdown against Illinois, so the spotlight will be on him against a stout Michigan front. Austin Meek, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for negate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for negate
Verb
  • The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Rose has denied many of the allegations and the case is ongoing.
    Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In the 1980s, the Construction Differential Subsidy was abolished, hollowing out the commercial base.
    Big Think, Big Think, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Rogers noted that the book argues that a central cause of the war was Anglo settlers’ determination to keep slaves in bondage after Mexico largely abolished it.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The study authors looked at 13 samples and found no traces of typhus, but their work does not discredit the findings of the 2006 study, the researchers noted.
    Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Many fans have welcomed her to the two-time winners club, joining the likes of Tony Vlachos and Sandra Diaz-Twine, while others have discredited her triumph.
    Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Together, these women find respite from, and at times refute, perennial patriarchal powers.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Bovino appeared before Ellis on Tuesday after the plaintiffs accused him of throwing a tear gas canister into a crowd of demonstrators without justification or warning – a characterization DHS has refuted.
    Devan Cole, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Northwest Passage Act, which offered a reward to any Briton who could chart a shipping route through Arctic Canada to Asia, had been repealed in 1818.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
  • In 2023, Phoenix-area utility Salt River Project invested $280 million in the installation as part of its progress toward a 15% renewable energy standard that, in 2025, state utility commissioners voted to repeal.
    Joan Meiners, AZCentral.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • At that meeting, Buchanan's reappointment to a full five-year term on the housing authority's board was rejected in a 6-2 decision, with two city directors absent.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Scholtes rejected a second-degree murder plea deal in March 2025 that would have resulted in a sentence of 10 to 25 years, according to previous reporting by The Arizona Republic.
    Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Barca and Madrid reactions to the Miami game being cancelled was certainly divergent, and there will be lingering tension in the Bernabeu’s VIP areas on Sunday.
    Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
  • The principal didn’t immediately realize the alert had been canceled, a spokesperson for Baltimore County Public Schools told WBAL.
    Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Of course, anyone with a tree-nut allergy should avoid almond butter altogether.
    Daryl Austin, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Tillery also advises her clients to skip overpacking and go with carry-on luggage to avoid unnecessary baggage fees or inconveniences if there are flight changes.
    Essence, Essence, 24 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Negate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/negate. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.

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