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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of reneging
Witnesses to the raid maintained that the protest was lawful and accused Martin Berger, SAIC’s provost, of reneging on a promise to allow student leaders to reach an internal compromise before involving police.
—
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
9 June 2026
The New York Times reported that Mamdani had vowed to back Espaillat, and was now reneging on that commitment.
—
Joseph Strauss,
Sun Sentinel,
1 June 2026
Everlane has been criticized before for reneging on its commitment to transparency when convenient.
—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
20 May 2026
Musk is accusing Altman of ‘robbing a charity,’ by reneging on OpenAI’s original non profit mission.
—
Gemma Allen,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
The lawsuit filed last month by Moriarty and the state accuses the federal government of reneging on its promise to cooperate with state investigations after the surge of some 3,000 federal law enforcement officers into Minnesota.
—
Mara H. Gottfried,
Twin Cities,
16 Apr. 2026
The lawsuit accuses the federal government of reneging on its promise to cooperate with state investigations after the surge of around 3,000 federal law enforcement officers into Minnesota.
—
Mark Vancleave,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
The mayor of Hammond, Indiana, says train company Norfolk Southern is reneging on a promise to partly finance the construction of a pedestrian overpass at a dangerous rail crossing that was the subject of a ProPublica investigation.
—
Topher Sanders,
ProPublica,
25 Mar. 2026
The lawsuit accuses Shell of reneging on a deal involving a TV show but tells a much broader story of the government influencing Paramount’s business dealings.
—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Mar. 2026
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
9 June 2026
The New York Times reported that Mamdani had vowed to back Espaillat, and was now reneging on that commitment.
—
Joseph Strauss,
Sun Sentinel,
1 June 2026
Everlane has been criticized before for reneging on its commitment to transparency when convenient.
—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
20 May 2026
Musk is accusing Altman of ‘robbing a charity,’ by reneging on OpenAI’s original non profit mission.
—
Gemma Allen,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
The lawsuit filed last month by Moriarty and the state accuses the federal government of reneging on its promise to cooperate with state investigations after the surge of some 3,000 federal law enforcement officers into Minnesota.
—
Mara H. Gottfried,
Twin Cities,
16 Apr. 2026
The lawsuit accuses the federal government of reneging on its promise to cooperate with state investigations after the surge of around 3,000 federal law enforcement officers into Minnesota.
—
Mark Vancleave,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
The mayor of Hammond, Indiana, says train company Norfolk Southern is reneging on a promise to partly finance the construction of a pedestrian overpass at a dangerous rail crossing that was the subject of a ProPublica investigation.
—
Topher Sanders,
ProPublica,
25 Mar. 2026
The lawsuit accuses Shell of reneging on a deal involving a TV show but tells a much broader story of the government influencing Paramount’s business dealings.
—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reneging
Verb
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While conventional wisdom had long been that consumers should build up a certain level of savings — six months' worth of living expenses, for example — those who study the accounts now consider saving to be a dynamic process of paying in, withdrawing, and then replenishing.
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The military held a similar security strip from 1985 until 2000, before withdrawing after years of steady casualties, a toll that is accumulating once again.
Verb
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Corbett, of Palatine, announced his independent candidacy days after renouncing the current state of the Republican Party and dropping his consulting business work with GOP contenders.
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The program calls for the recognition of Israel and renouncing armed struggle, effectively sidelining Hamas and other factions.
Verb
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The instance allegedly occurred after a group of male models was invited to the contestants' temporary apartment in Italy, with Sullivan recalling that large amounts of alcohol were consumed at the small party inside the dwelling.
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More than 30 years later, Mattox still beamed with pride when recalling his first harness racing win, around 1992.
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.
-
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.
Verb
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Sources said a different Big 12 team, TCU, was the initial target before backing out of what essentially is a home game for the Aztecs.
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Hazel was chasing a stream of water down the street while her father was pressure washing their driveway outside when she was hit by a car backing out of a nearby driveway, her parents told KPCQ.
Verb
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University of California Health is denying reports that human bodies donated for research and education at UC San Diego in La Jolla were sold to the Navy and the Israel Defense Forces for military medical training.
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And no one is denying the tensions between certain governments.
Verb
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Moore's campaign is not backing down and continues to air the commercials on Fox News and Facebook.
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His critics by now should have realized Aguirre, the survivor, the dreamer, the savior, the fighter, isn’t about to start backing down.
Verb
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Council members narrowly passed the ordinance repealing the ban by a 7-5 vote, with some voting against the measure as a form of protest.
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And yet, Mamdani found time to talk about the Knicks’ playoff run, including repealing bedtime so children could watch the NBA Finals.
Cite this Entry
“Reneging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reneging. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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