1
as in withdrew
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 renounced
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of reneged
For all the fun and disruption, the commitment to elite sport itself never felt reneged.
—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
People made clear that the story of Colorado becoming a state should include talk of the Sand Creek massacre and other atrocities, treaties reneged on and the treatment of children at Indian boarding schools.
—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
20 May 2026
But that’s precisely the commitment that American leaders have reneged on.
—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
19 May 2026
Well, Hamas promised to do it and reneged.
—
CBS News,
10 May 2026
And though the president reneged on an initiative to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz hours after Rubio touted it to the press, Rubio's performance elicited largely rave reviews on the political right.
—
Justin Papp,
CNBC,
6 May 2026
None of that happens if Lesch’s shoulder had held on or if the Dodgers had reneged on their deal.
—
Los Angeles Times,
4 May 2026
Bruce Blakeman, a Long Island Republican county executive who is challenging Hochul, said the governor reneged on her promise not to levy new taxes.
—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
16 Apr. 2026
At time of writing, Iran has reneged on reopening the Strait of Hormuz owing to Israeli strikes on Lebanon, where at least 254 people were killed on Wednesday, according to Lebanon’s Civil Defence, marking the deadliest day of the entire conflict.
—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
9 Apr. 2026
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
People made clear that the story of Colorado becoming a state should include talk of the Sand Creek massacre and other atrocities, treaties reneged on and the treatment of children at Indian boarding schools.
—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
20 May 2026
But that’s precisely the commitment that American leaders have reneged on.
—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
19 May 2026
Well, Hamas promised to do it and reneged.
—
CBS News,
10 May 2026
And though the president reneged on an initiative to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz hours after Rubio touted it to the press, Rubio's performance elicited largely rave reviews on the political right.
—
Justin Papp,
CNBC,
6 May 2026
None of that happens if Lesch’s shoulder had held on or if the Dodgers had reneged on their deal.
—
Los Angeles Times,
4 May 2026
Bruce Blakeman, a Long Island Republican county executive who is challenging Hochul, said the governor reneged on her promise not to levy new taxes.
—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
16 Apr. 2026
At time of writing, Iran has reneged on reopening the Strait of Hormuz owing to Israeli strikes on Lebanon, where at least 254 people were killed on Wednesday, according to Lebanon’s Civil Defence, marking the deadliest day of the entire conflict.
—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
9 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reneged
Verb
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Last month, multiple musicians withdrew from the fair's kickoff because of concerns about its political affiliation, prompting Freedom 250 to rebrand it as a rally.
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As for Djokovic, the seven-time Wimbledon champ who withdrew from a pre-tournament exhibition without explanation, his draw looks like this.
Verb
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What follows are dozens of examples of how those whose names are familiar (or aren’t) and legendary (or infamous) for their actions while representing the state have been embraced (or renounced) by the rest of the country and beyond.
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She’s since voted to block military aid to Israel and renounced the group.
Verb
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The teen also recalled being denied the ability to contact his mother for days after he was hospitalized.
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Dong recalled that dread ran deep because his tiny boat might capsize if the winds and waves picked up.
Verb
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As soon as the error was realized, the story was retracted and removed from NPR’s website and an on-air correction was broadcast.
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The journal typically adds a large RETRACTED notice across digital papers that have been retracted, leaving them available for download.
Verb
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In at least 11 communities – including Oklahoma City and Kansas City – private developers backed out of sales following local protests.
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Iran backed out of Friday’s talks after Israel attacked Hezbollah overnight Wednesday, three unnamed diplomats told The New York Times.
Verb
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Then multiple states filed lawsuits alleging the agency failed to conduct proper environmental reviews, which DHS denied.
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The band had been denied the opportunity to perform during Haiti’s pre-World Cup friendly against Peru, despite the presence of a Peruvian band.
Verb
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He was originally committed to USC but backed off that pledge in May.
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Syria then did and Obama backed off a military response.
Verb
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This recognition contradicted almost two centuries of Colonial practice, making it among the most radical achievements of the founding era.
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Some reported a few dozen microbe types, others more than 900, and one company even contradicted itself on the same sample.
Cite this Entry
“Reneged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reneged. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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