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
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
Kallas said reneging on that goes against EU treaties.
—Sam McNeil, Arkansas Online, 24 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
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
Kallas said reneging on that goes against EU treaties.
—Sam McNeil, Arkansas Online, 24 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reneging
Verb
-
The Cabinet discussed—and George III supported—withdrawing from the coastal colonies entirely in favor of the Caribbean.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Two top Republican lawmakers expressed concern about the Pentagon withdrawing 5,000 troops from Germany.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
The program calls for the recognition of Israel and renouncing armed struggle, effectively sidelining Hamas and other factions.—
SAM METZ,
Arkansas Online,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The program calls for the recognition of Israel and renouncing armed struggle, effectively sidelining Hamas and other factions.—
Sam Metz,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
One video has drawn thousands of comments, with people recalling childhood trips to the DVD section and browsing such clothing brands as Mossimo.—
Star Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
-
HiPP responded by recalling all of its baby food jars sold at SPAR supermarkets — which include SPAR, EUROSPAR, INTERSPAR and Maximarkt stores — in Austria as a precaution.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
Swelling around your eyes may suggest an underactive thyroid, while retracting eyelids may signal an overactive thyroid.—
Brandi Jones,
Health,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Self-retracting nozzles are the most hygienic.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
There was a stunning turn of events in Suffolk Superior Court on Wednesday when a Boston man reversed course mid-hearing, backing out of a plea deal that could have led to his release from jail within months.—
Aaron Parseghian,
CBS News,
29 Apr. 2026
-
After backing out of an agreement to trade first-round picks in 2026 and 2027 for Crosby, DeCosta was decried as dishonorable, dirty and duplicitous, especially after Baltimore signed another accomplished edge rusher, Trey Hendrickson, to a free-agent deal the following day.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Instead, a top Justice Department official insisted the ruling wasn't binding, and the administration continued denying detainees around the country a chance for release.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 May 2026
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Instead, a top Justice Department official insisted the ruling wasn’t binding, and the administration continued denying detainees around the country a chance for release.—
Sudhin Thanawala,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
Verb
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When Mamdani’s predecessor Eric Adams proposed simply letting schools’ funding shrink along with enrollment, he was sued, protested against, and, eventually, bullied into backing down.—
Marc Novicoff,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
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And similar to 23 years ago, these Pistons don’t plan on backing down either.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Social Security Administration’s actuaries have found repealing the retirement earnings test will ultimately reduce trust fund costs, Adcock said.—
Lorie Konish,
CNBC,
27 Apr. 2026
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That showed again how poorly the Legislature served the voters by repealing Florida’s runoff primary 21 years ago.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reneging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reneging. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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