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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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said in a recall notice that the seat belts in certain Expedition and Lincoln vehicles may inadvertently lock, preventing the belt from retracting or extending.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
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The Salton Sea has been retracting as the climate has become hotter, leaving behind pesticides and fertilizers in toxic dust from the multibillion-dollar local agricultural industry that blow through our communities, contributing to the asthma crisis facing our children.—
Daniela Flores,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Finally, on the issue of Ukraine renouncing its ambition to become a member of NATO, the source told CNN that this demand remains unacceptable.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
26 Nov. 2025
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The government has cracked down on independent Christian congregations over the past decade, destroying crosses, burning Bibles, shuttering churches and ordering followers to sign papers renouncing their faith.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Nov. 2025
Verb
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After battling through injury during Saturday's third round at the RBC Canadian Open, Brooks Koepka opted not to give it a go in the final round, ultimately withdrawing from the PGA Tour event on Sunday morning.—
Mark Harris,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
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On Wednesday afternoon, Robert Reeve, attorney for Noble, notified Farmington his client was withdrawing the plan.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
11 June 2026
Verb
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The best comparison probably takes the cycling historian all the way back to the Italian pair of Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali — but even then, the pair only shared the podium twice, with a five-year age gap between them and the Second World War denying Bartali several years at his peak.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
3 July 2025
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There was no reason to reconsider denying Combs bail, Comey told the judge.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
3 July 2025
Verb
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The group says that carveout opened a political pathway to faster access to federal records, contradicting FOIA’s requirement that agencies handle requests in a content-neutral manner.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Dec. 2025
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Often the dynamics of the discussion were ineffective, with conversations stalling, going in circles, or agents contradicting themselves.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
2 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Recanting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recanting. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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