1
as in relinquishing
to give up (as a position of authority) formally
in wake of the corruption scandal, the congressman was forced to renounce his seat in the House
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in withdrawing
to solemnly or formally reject or go back on (as something formerly adhered to)
after another failed romance he vowed that he was renouncing the world and becoming a monk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of renouncing
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
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
Margaret’s father succeeded him as King George VI, and her mother Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, never forgave the duke for renouncing his duty to his country.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 29 Dec. 2025
Ukraine withdrawing from all of the Donbas, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, and Kyiv officially renouncing its aim to join NATO.
—Andrea Shalal, USA Today, 28 Dec. 2025
Finally, on the issue of Ukraine renouncing its ambition to become a member of NATO, the source told CNN that this demand remains unacceptable.
—Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 26 Nov. 2025
The government has cracked down on independent Christian congregations over the past decade, destroying crosses, burning Bibles, shuttering churches and ordering followers to sign papers renouncing their faith.
—Arkansas Online, 23 Nov. 2025
The chain has billboards nationwide renouncing turkey and asking fans to opt for chicken instead, per a press release.
—Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 17 Nov. 2025
The revelations about the emails led to both Andrew and Sarah renouncing their Duke and Duchess of York titles in the past two weeks.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2025
Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 3 Mar. 2026
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
Margaret’s father succeeded him as King George VI, and her mother Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, never forgave the duke for renouncing his duty to his country.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 29 Dec. 2025
Ukraine withdrawing from all of the Donbas, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, and Kyiv officially renouncing its aim to join NATO.
—Andrea Shalal, USA Today, 28 Dec. 2025
Finally, on the issue of Ukraine renouncing its ambition to become a member of NATO, the source told CNN that this demand remains unacceptable.
—Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 26 Nov. 2025
The government has cracked down on independent Christian congregations over the past decade, destroying crosses, burning Bibles, shuttering churches and ordering followers to sign papers renouncing their faith.
—Arkansas Online, 23 Nov. 2025
The chain has billboards nationwide renouncing turkey and asking fans to opt for chicken instead, per a press release.
—Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 17 Nov. 2025
The revelations about the emails led to both Andrew and Sarah renouncing their Duke and Duchess of York titles in the past two weeks.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for renouncing
Verb
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Researchers warned about relinquishing autonomy without interpretability.—
Victoria Bousis,
Rolling Stone,
9 Mar. 2026
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Their dreadful February reeks of a team that grew desperate to reap the benefits of a dying method, at least somewhat relinquishing its old, stubborn ways.—
Joel Lorenzi,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
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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So some time has passed since Claire almost died of a gunshot wound and Jamie taught us all that resigning from the Army by way of a note written in your wife’s blood is a viable option.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
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Her mother, Katie Hensle, spent nine years as the head coach of the Chaparrals, compiling a record of 209-99 before resigning in February 2022.—
Rick Cantu,
Austin American Statesman,
5 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
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Democratic leaders have accused Congress of abdicating its constitutional role, and some members plan to boycott the address or attend in silent protest.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
23 Feb. 2026
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The United States, in other words, is not just abdicating its role in the current international system.—
ELIZABETH ECONOMY,
Foreign Affairs,
9 Dec. 2025
Verb
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There’s no denying that the bob remains the haircut of the moment.—
Fiona Embleton,
Glamour,
6 Mar. 2026
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There is, however, no denying certain gains.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Johnson, of the American Cancer Society, pushed back on arguments that repealing the program would save the state money.—
Sarah Cutler,
Idaho Statesman,
9 Mar. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Renouncing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/renouncing. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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