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
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
The men were arrested for the brutal murder of Lisa Kindred in front of her children on Mother’s Day 1999, based on witness testimony that was recanted.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 26 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
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
The men were arrested for the brutal murder of Lisa Kindred in front of her children on Mother’s Day 1999, based on witness testimony that was recanted.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recanted
Adjective
-
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
-
She’s since voted to block military aid to Israel and renounced the group.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
1 June 2026
-
The former monarch renounced her title in January 2024 on the 52nd anniversary of her accession.—
Paloma Chavez,
PEOPLE,
20 May 2026
Verb
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Less than a week later, the UA withdrew the offer.—
Ryan Anderson,
Arkansas Online,
29 May 2026
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Historians say the original Liberty Pole was erected as British forces withdrew from New York following their defeat in the Revolutionary War, a symbolic act meant to assert American independence and taunt departing troops.—
Hannah Kliger,
CBS News,
28 May 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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The governors, Alfonso Durazo of Sonora and Américo Villarreal Anaya of Tamaulipas, denied any wrongdoing and called accusations against them an attempt to undermine Mexican sovereignty.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
-
Mullin denied the accusations, saying said his agency was not racist.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
4 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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The observation contradicted the normal tendency of mixed materials to remain blended.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
3 June 2026
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Shortly after, Erika Christakis, associate head of one of Yale’s residential colleges, contradicted the email.—
Ingrid A. Nelson,
The Conversation,
29 May 2026
Adjective
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Niki’s musical genius is frequently alluded to, dreams deferred by his hearing disorder, and Woodall physically communicates that repressed frustration.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
-
The deeply repressed make great ghost fodder.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Recanted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recanted. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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