1
as in to cancel
to put an end to (something planned or previously agreed to)
the company called the furniture store to repeal the order for six new desks
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to abolish
to put an end to by formal action
in 1933, Congress passed the 21st Amendment which repealed the Prohibition Amendment of 1919, thus making the sale, distribution, and use of alcohol legal once again
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to renounce
to solemnly or formally reject or go back on (as something formerly adhered to)
if I find that you have been lying about this, I'll instantly repeal every promise I made to you
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in cancellation
the act of putting an end to something planned or previously agreed to
the long overdue repeal of laws prohibiting interracial marriage
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in abolition
the doing away with something by formal action
the repeal of Prohibition during Franklin D. Roosevelt's first term
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of repeal
Matthew Daly, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2026
Shriya Dwivedi, a Phoenix resident who attends the Basis Peoria charter school, was disappointed to hear EPA was about to repeal the endangerment finding.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 12 Feb. 2026
Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 12 Feb. 2026
The repeal could erase current limits on greenhouse gas pollution from cars, factories, power plants and other sources and could prevent future administrations from proposing rules to address global warming.
—Matthew Daly, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for repeal
Verb
Legal challenges are certain for an action that repeals all greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars and trucks, and could unleash a broader undoing of climate regulations on stationary sources such as power plants and oil and gas facilities, experts say.
—Matthew Daly, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2026
Shriya Dwivedi, a Phoenix resident who attends the Basis Peoria charter school, was disappointed to hear EPA was about to repeal the endangerment finding.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 12 Feb. 2026
Noun
Kiley has occasionally bucked GOP leadership on procedural matters and previously voted against a House rule that would have blocked consideration of tariff repeal measures.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 12 Feb. 2026
The repeal could erase current limits on greenhouse gas pollution from cars, factories, power plants and other sources and could prevent future administrations from proposing rules to address global warming.
—Matthew Daly, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for repeal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repeal
Verb
-
Airlines canceled flights and cultural events were postponed as Cuba endures its worst fuel shortage in years, harming tourism and the broader economy.—
Andrea Rodriguez,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
-
But with one principal calling football worse than bull fighting, high school games were cancelled in Kansas City in 1906 and 1907 and there was talk of replacing it with soccer football.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In a similar move, Dissanayake's government abolished perks provided to former presidents in September in response to popular demand.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The holiday first made it to the states when French explorers settled in New Orleans, and the celebrations stuck until the Spanish gained control of Louisiana and abolished the carnival.—
Paige Moore,
AZCentral.com,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Besson’s vision explores the love that was ripped away from Dracula and how that loss led him to renounce God and live for an eternity as his punishment.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
What led to that cancellation specifically and how far along was the project?—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Additional delays or cancellations could be announced, so check with your local district before sending kids to a bus stop or driving to school.—
Brian Smith,
Des Moines Register,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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On the other side of the spectrum, community organizer Rae Huang has been running an unabashedly leftist campaign, calling for free buses and the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.—
Noah Goldberg,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
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Even abolition didn’t stop Southern majorities from restricting their rights and tolerating lynch mobs under Jim Crow.—
Ben Bayer,
Oc Register,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
All three figures were once associated with the regime’s internal movement for incremental reform; all three long ago abandoned that stance to advocate the wholesale transformation of the system instead.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Despite the relatively recent creation of the Government Oversight Committee, the legislature has largely abandoned its oversight role.—
Mark Pazniokas,
Hartford Courant,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In 2022, the same court overturned a decision by Leon also dealing with military retiree jurisdiction.—
Taylor Seely,
AZCentral.com,
13 Feb. 2026
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Renewables are being deployed aggressively across much of the world even as the US, historically the world’s biggest emitter, overturned a landmark domestic climate ruling.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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By April, Kabila’s new government was persuaded by the IMF and the World Bank to withdraw from the contract with Gertler after only eight months.—
Nicolas Niarchos,
Vanity Fair,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Lupel continued working to get Dotson’s rape conviction overturned until withdrawing as his attorney in 1986.—
Bob Goldsborough,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Repeal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repeal. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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