1
as in withdrawing
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 renouncing
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 reneging
Kallas said reneging on that goes against EU treaties.
—
Sam McNeil, Arkansas Online, 24 Feb. 2026
Kallas said reneging on that goes against the EU treaties.
—Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
In a time when the message from Washington is to double down on fossil fuel use, Northeast governors are reneging on climate commitments.
—Susan Moynihan, Hartford Courant, 15 Feb. 2026
Binance, however, appears to be reneging on its promise.
—Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
But Republicans reject the idea of reopening months of bipartisan negotiations and argue that Democrats are reneging on a deal their own appropriators helped write, which also passed the House last week, before the shooting in Minneapolis.
—Nik Popli, Time, 27 Jan. 2026
Then there’s complicity in the Gaza genocide, reneging on promises to address unequal pensions for British women, etc.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026
Tuesday’s announcement comes after Israel accused Hamas of violating the truce by firing on Israeli forces in Rafah and reneging on promises to return missing hostage remains.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 31 Oct. 2025
In the seven-page lawsuit, Giles also accuses Cole of reneging on other promises related to the collaboration.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2025
Sam McNeil, Arkansas Online, 24 Feb. 2026
Kallas said reneging on that goes against the EU treaties.
—Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
In a time when the message from Washington is to double down on fossil fuel use, Northeast governors are reneging on climate commitments.
—Susan Moynihan, Hartford Courant, 15 Feb. 2026
Binance, however, appears to be reneging on its promise.
—Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
But Republicans reject the idea of reopening months of bipartisan negotiations and argue that Democrats are reneging on a deal their own appropriators helped write, which also passed the House last week, before the shooting in Minneapolis.
—Nik Popli, Time, 27 Jan. 2026
Then there’s complicity in the Gaza genocide, reneging on promises to address unequal pensions for British women, etc.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026
Tuesday’s announcement comes after Israel accused Hamas of violating the truce by firing on Israeli forces in Rafah and reneging on promises to return missing hostage remains.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 31 Oct. 2025
In the seven-page lawsuit, Giles also accuses Cole of reneging on other promises related to the collaboration.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reneging
Verb
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Arguing that having a public apology circulating online would be unfair to their client, his attorneys instead handed Rose a paper note containing the apology before quickly withdrawing it.—
Andrew Lapin,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Mar. 2026
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And naive, especially after the Soviet Union spent a decade fighting in Afghanistan to put communist allies in charge, before withdrawing its troops in 1989 amid failure.—
Jill Lawrence,
Mercury News,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This all comes after reports that Andrew is considering renouncing his spot in the line of succession in order to avoid jail time.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
3 Mar. 2026
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Its roots are in publicly paying penance for serious sins or crimes in the eyes of the church, like adultery or apostasy, which means renouncing the church and its beliefs.—
Lianna Norman,
Florida Times-Union,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The show is a colorful timeline recalling the center’s greatest hits and quirkiest moments.—
Ray Mark Rinaldi,
Denver Post,
9 Mar. 2026
-
In developing the film, Díaz could relate with the girls’ struggle, recalling her own passion for soccer as a kid.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Her delicate proto-shell dangles below, her tiny sails and blossoming eyes retracting at the scent of predators.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Feb. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Lost my respect by backing out.—
Janelle Ash,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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In America, a property owner backing out of a location agreement can lead to legal action and is rare.—
Aaron Couch,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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There’s no denying that the bob remains the haircut of the moment.—
Fiona Embleton,
Glamour,
6 Mar. 2026
-
There is, however, no denying certain gains.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But Paxton and his allies are showing no signs of backing down.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
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Prakash Singh | Bloomberg | Getty Images Anthropic isn’t backing down from its position about AI in defense.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The measure appears likely to appear on the ballot because the sponsors, the Lincoln Club Business League, plan to rely on the much lower threshold required under state law for measures repealing taxes and fees.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
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Other recommendations included repealing any crime-free nuisance ordinances around housing, establishing an Office of Immigrant and Refugee Rights and creating a program that diverts young people away from the justice system.—
R. Christian Smith,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reneging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reneging. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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