recanted 1 of 2

adjective

as in retracted

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recanted

2 of 2

verb

past tense of recant
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 recanted
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
The witnesses previously recanted, and Wednesday, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott offered an apology. — Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026 In addition, investigators working for Duncan’s legal team interviewed a jailhouse informant who recanted his earlier trial testimony that Duncan had confessed to the crime. — Richard A. Webster, ProPublica, 29 June 2026 At least three people were arrested and police said at least four others have recanted. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 17 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recanted
  1. retracted
  2. renounced
  3. withheld
  4. withdrew
  5. suppressed
  6. denied
  7. repressed
  8. contradicted
Adjective
  • Notably, 90% of 190 sick individuals in the current case reported eating iceberg lettuce, a robust epidemiological link independent of the retracted test.
    — Lisa Fitzpatrick, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • On April 22, 2026, Springer Nature posted a retracted article notice almost a year after initial publication.
    — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 4 May 2026
Definition of retracted
Verb
  • China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The Business Roundtable and several hundred business leaders publicly renounced it in 2019.
    — Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of renounced
Adjective
  • The withheld funding supports election monitoring, independent media and other pro-democracy programs abroad.
    — Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Aug. 2025
Definition of withheld
Verb
  • The Federal Reserve and FDIC withdrew their crypto-asset guidance for banks in April 2025.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Benton resigned from the legislature July 3 and withdrew from seeking reelection.
    — Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of withdrew
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of suppressed
Verb
  • Jones has repeatedly denied the allegations since he was arrested in 2024.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The former FedEx driver who was sentenced to death in May for the capital murder of 7-year-old Wise County girl Athena Strand has had his request for a new trial denied.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of denied
Adjective
  • Nordic noir suggests the presence of violence and hatred beneath the tranquillity and order of the Scandinavian welfare state, just as Southern noir peels back hospitality and charm to reveal repressed family secrets and moral decay.
    — Peter C. Baker, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
  • In fact, this is where our motivations become personal and perhaps even slightly irritating, especially if repressed emotions or sensitivities rise to the surface.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of repressed
Verb
  • What makes the reflecting pool incident different was that the administration contradicted claims of property damage made repeatedly by the president.
    — Josh Boak, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Police say the video contradicted Medina’s claims that Cox was the aggressor.
    — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 30 July 2026
Definition of contradicted

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Cite this Entry

“Recanted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recanted. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of recanted for Spanish Speakers

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