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
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
In 1999, four suspects were arrested, with two suspects confessing but later recanting, police said.
—Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2025
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
Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 26 Jan. 2026
In 1999, four suspects were arrested, with two suspects confessing but later recanting, police said.
—Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2025
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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With retracting landing gear and a striking look, too, this set is ideal for young ones with plenty of imagination.—
Alexander Cox,
Space.com,
13 Feb. 2026
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School public safety had initially reported that a suspect had been taken into custody before retracting that statement.—
Kierra Frazier,
CBS News,
13 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Margaret’s father succeeded him as King George VI, and her mother Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, never forgave the duke for renouncing his duty to his country.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
29 Dec. 2025
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Ukraine withdrawing from all of the Donbas, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, and Kyiv officially renouncing its aim to join NATO.—
Andrea Shalal,
USA Today,
28 Dec. 2025
Verb
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In the wake of the Pretti shooting by Border Patrol agents, Homan announced last week that 700 immigration enforcement officials would start withdrawing from Minnesota.—
Julia Manchester,
The Hill,
12 Feb. 2026
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The men allegedly cased banks to prey on people who were withdrawing or depositing money at banks, according to the release.—
Summer Lin,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Authorities are increasingly denying detainees access to legal counsel and often holding them for days or weeks before allowing any phone calls to family.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
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Decades later, Faraci cooperated with Modrowski’s lawyer during the post-conviction proceedings and submitted two affidavits in 2019 and 2011 denying Modrowski was involved, court records show.—
Christy Gutowski,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Adapting and expanding upon a lean Don Winslow novella, Layton adds many sometimes unnecessarily complex ingredients to the pot, with characters intersecting and allegiances and motivations often contradicting one another.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
11 Feb. 2026
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Videos later surfaced contradicting their statements.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Recanting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recanting. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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