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
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
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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Moreover, the patches of skin behind the upper arms and on the trunk reveal that the reptile had powerful muscles for retracting its forelimbs.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Sep. 2025
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Perhaps that’s why his administration keeps dangling — and then retracting — the prospect of special exceptions for undocumented immigrants who work in certain sectors.—
Patricia Lopez,
Mercury News,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Instead, agriculture accounts for nearly 90% of water usage, including withdrawing non-renewable water reserves.—
Nik Kowsar,
Time,
2 Oct. 2025
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Harry has twice sued Associated Newspapers for libel, winning one case and withdrawing the other, while his wife Meghan has also won a privacy lawsuit against the publisher.—
Michael Holden,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Even worse, Park and his conservative successors had been bolstered by the very imperial forces from which the South Koreans had hoped to escape, in exchange for renouncing their right to forgive and to hold Japan accountable.—
Eun A Jo,
Foreign Affairs,
23 Nov. 2022
Verb
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Cohen previously revealed there would be some new faces when the Bravo series returned, denying that the show would be cancelled.—
Rachel McRady,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
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What struck me most is how Bertrand has survived by embracing, not denying, its history.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But there have been contradicting reports about this, too, particularly because Princess Beatrice has her own career outside of her royal duties.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
29 Sep. 2025
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In other words, the administration is overstating the evidence, the FDA is contradicting itself, and the scientists who actually did the research are saying something altogether different.—
Dr. Craig Spencer,
Time,
23 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Recanting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recanting. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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