as in retracting
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 recanting
But in 1999, the four men were arrested, with Springsteen and Scott confessing and later recanting, according to the AP.
—
Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026
Campbell also dismissed the third eyewitness recanting her testimony, saying there's no evidence of tampering during the trial.
—Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 26 Jan. 2026
Lunsford ended up recanting his statement when questioned again, this time by a district attorney’s investigator.
—Tony Saavedra, Oc Register, 17 Sep. 2025
However, in a 2024 court filing known as a coram nobis petition, Zachary Adams revealed Autry was recanting his testimony and asked for a new trial.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2025
Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026
Campbell also dismissed the third eyewitness recanting her testimony, saying there's no evidence of tampering during the trial.
—Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 26 Jan. 2026
Lunsford ended up recanting his statement when questioned again, this time by a district attorney’s investigator.
—Tony Saavedra, Oc Register, 17 Sep. 2025
However, in a 2024 court filing known as a coram nobis petition, Zachary Adams revealed Autry was recanting his testimony and asked for a new trial.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recanting
Verb
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Self-retracting nozzles are the most hygienic.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
13 Apr. 2026
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The ruthlessness of the producers cutting folk off mid-speech or retracting the microphone and upping the music volume was belittling to those on stage.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Returning to the guitars that characterized the band’s earliest work without renouncing their latter-day synths, MacFarlane gives Graham’s ruminations an urgent tenderness.—
Stephen Thomas Erlewine,
Pitchfork,
31 Mar. 2026
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The association filed several lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the fee, including one that remains pending that argues there should be no cost for renouncing one’s citizenship.—
Matthew Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Lebanese officials have pushed for a ceasefire, while Israel has framed the negotiations around Hezbollah’s disarmament and a potential peace deal, without publicly committing to halting hostilities or withdrawing its forces.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
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Jason Baer, the lawyer who’d shared several cases with Motta, began the process of withdrawing as co-counsel at the first sign of a federal investigation.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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His complaint alleged that the state’s actions had left him with a financial burden of more than $20,000 per year by denying the vouchers to both of his children.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
11 Apr. 2026
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Pressed by rival camps, pursued by the political press corps, the claims were largely confined to unvetted corners of the internet until this week, when Swalwell’s campaign — knowing the whispers were getting louder — issued a public statement denying any wrongdoing.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But detectives say new information surfaced two weeks later, contradicting her account and identifying Griffin as the shooter.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
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The administration contends this interpretation aligns with historical constitutional understanding rather than contradicting it.—
Carlos De Loera,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Recanting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recanting. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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