as in retracted
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as in renounced
to solemnly or formally reject or go back on (as something formerly adhered to)
the Inquisition forced Galileo to recant his support of the Copernican observation that the earth revolves around the sun
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Recent Examples of recanted
Jean Casarez, CNN Money, 5 Oct. 2025
J.d. Miles, CBS News, 8 June 2026
Others have recanted and said police coerced them into implicating Washington and Simms.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 22 May 2026
However, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office ultimately dropped charges against Santana after the 17-year-old accuser recanted his statements to prosecutors, television interviewers and on social media, according to court records.
—Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
The conviction turned largely on eyewitness testimony that has since been recanted and scientific evidence that has since been debunked.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 May 2026
Bourgerie noted that Ball’s wife later recanted her allegations and that Ball had been named deputy of the year for the Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office in 2025.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
Epstein told a guard Tartaglione had attacked him, but later recanted.
—ABC News, 7 May 2026
Sid confessed to the police but later recanted, per New York.
—Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026
Hitchcock later recanted his confession and said his brother killed Cindy, but he was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
The two who confessed – and later recanted – were convicted of capital murder and remained in prison until DNA evidence proving their innocence led to their release in 2009, prosecutors said.
—Jean Casarez, CNN Money, 5 Oct. 2025
Verb
But that witness also recanted when prosecutors showed him the video of what happened.
—J.d. Miles, CBS News, 8 June 2026
Others have recanted and said police coerced them into implicating Washington and Simms.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 22 May 2026
However, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office ultimately dropped charges against Santana after the 17-year-old accuser recanted his statements to prosecutors, television interviewers and on social media, according to court records.
—Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
The conviction turned largely on eyewitness testimony that has since been recanted and scientific evidence that has since been debunked.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 May 2026
Bourgerie noted that Ball’s wife later recanted her allegations and that Ball had been named deputy of the year for the Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office in 2025.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
Epstein told a guard Tartaglione had attacked him, but later recanted.
—ABC News, 7 May 2026
Sid confessed to the police but later recanted, per New York.
—Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026
Hitchcock later recanted his confession and said his brother killed Cindy, but he was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recanted
Adjective
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On April 22, 2026, Springer Nature posted a retracted article notice almost a year after initial publication.—
Jeremy Hsu,
ArsTechnica,
4 May 2026
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The reading assignments prepared for the judges include a Substack post by a notable climate contrarian accusing the authors of the retracted climate chapter in the federal court’s reference manual of including material by Burger and hiding his authorship.—
Abrahm Lustgarten,
ProPublica,
2 May 2026
Verb
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What follows are dozens of examples of how those whose names are familiar (or aren’t) and legendary (or infamous) for their actions while representing the state have been embraced (or renounced) by the rest of the country and beyond.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2026
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She’s since voted to block military aid to Israel and renounced the group.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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The withheld funding supports election monitoring, independent media and other pro-democracy programs abroad.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Mickelson, who turns 56 next week, withdrew from professional golf this year because of family health reasons, last playing at the LIV Golf South Africa in March.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
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In April 2025, just days after the federal court hearing, the LA County Board of Supervisors withdrew hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for LAHSA, opting to create a new county-run agency for homeless services.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
Adjective
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General Manager Ken Holland hinted at potentially being done after trading center Phillip Danault for a draft pick in December and acquiring Panarin at a suppressed price in February, though he has been known to under-promise often and, sometimes, over-deliver.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
3 Mar. 2026
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Supervising sound editor Alastair Sirkett told IndieWire that Peter Claffey’s big, former-rugby-player frame really helps that moment sing with suppressed panic.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But ever since Hay filed his civil suit against Combs, the musician’s attorneys have fiercely denied his allegations.—
Elizabeth Wagmeister,
CNN Money,
11 June 2026
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Boats arriving from Haiti’s seaports will soon be required to operate under enhanced security measures or risk being denied entry into the United States.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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Cummings has a wider range to traverse as Arnold, whose repressed rage eventually has to find an outlet.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
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Lewis’s wife Wren has her own repressed history with this type of disease, and the story that unfolds through their perspectives is layered, surprising and beautiful.—
Tessa Yang,
PEOPLE,
2 June 2026
Verb
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The process through which these attacks in Iran were ordered contradicted the intent of America’s founders in giving Congress the power to declare war.—
Steven Andreasen,
Twin Cities,
7 June 2026
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Although Raber and Eli initially alleged that their affair had ended six months before June 2009, their text messages later contradicted those claims.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Recanted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recanted. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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