renege

verb

ri-ˈneg How to pronounce renege (audio)
Definition of renegenext
1
as in to withdraw
to break a promise or agreement my so-called best friend promised to help me move, only to renege come Saturday morning

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to renounce
to solemnly or formally reject or go back on (as something formerly adhered to) refused to renege the principles by which she had always lived her life, even if it resulted in losing her business

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of renege Indeed, history is replete with governments reneging on oil deals, especially those that would seem to have been signed under duress. — Michael Lynch, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 Now the Navy is reneging on its promise to name an aircraft carrier for Doris Miller, the heroic Black mess attendant who manned a machine gun at Pearl Harbor. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026 In October, Stellantis reneged on a pledge to build the Jeep Compass in Canada, instead committing production of that vehicle to Illinois, the same plant that is now facing delay. — Liam Rappleye, Freep.com, 14 Aug. 2026 But Netanyahu’s government ministers have openly expressed opposition to the plan and are now urging him to renege entirely on cooperating with the Board of Peace. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for renege
Recent Examples of Synonyms for renege
  1. withdraw
  2. renounce
  3. recall
  4. retract
  5. back out
  6. deny
  7. back down
Verb
  • Customers could not withdraw or transfer money Tuesday, though most are protected by deposit insurance.
    — EMILIO SANABRIA, Arkansas Online, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The last time the Legislature withdrew from the rainy day fund was in 2008.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of withdraw
Verb
  • Far more Democrats renounced their party affiliation or switched to Republican than the other way around over the past two years.
    — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Rama attains liberation after renouncing the world, while Lakshmana’s violent actions lead him to hell before a spiritual ascent later.
    — Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of renounce
Verb
  • In brain-mapping studies that recalled Wilder Penfield’s pioneering work, his team steadily uncovered fundamental principles of how speech is represented by neural activity.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2026
  • At its very top, the structure features a golden-hued cherub hoisting a flaming torch that recalls a smaller version of the Statue of Liberty.
    — Will Weissert, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of recall
Verb
  • Following launch, the mechanism can retract into the container, preserving the system’s compact configuration for transportation and storage.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The analysis shows how severely the department’s Office for Civil Rights has retracted from its mission, launching an average of about 100 new investigations a month — 1,839 total from Inauguration Day in 2025 through July 2026.
    — Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of retract
Verb
  • When the bidding escalated beyond his threshold, Baffert’s money man backed out, but the trainer, too far gone on the horse, kept raising his hand.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Global temperatures could overshoot targets in the short term, so long as enough carbon was eventually sucked back out of the air to bring those temperatures back down.
    — Katie Worth, ProPublica, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of back out
Verb
  • The victory denies Abbott a fourth term and elevates an Austin state representative who built her campaign around public education, household costs and criticism of the state's Republican leadership.
    — Blaise Gainey, NPR, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The measure speeds permitting approval under the California Environmental Quality Act by placing deadlines on government agencies to issue or deny permits within a year.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of deny
Verb
  • The front would lift progressively and settle back down without slamming.
    — Kevin Fanady, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Don’t back down from the rain Sam and Jasmin’s wedding day started out a bit drizzly, a rarity for early summer in Istanbul.
    — Kaitlin Menza, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of back down

Browse Nearby Words

renegades
renege
reneged
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Cite this Entry

“Renege.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/renege. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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