1
as in cancelling
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 abolishing
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in 1933, Congress passed the 21st Amendment which repealed the Prohibition Amendment of 1919, thus making the sale, distribution, and use of alcohol legal once again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 withdrawing
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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Recent Examples of repealing
The strategist noted that Youngkin’s message on parental rights and education is often the main takeaway from his campaign, but there were other important messages, including repealing the state’s grocery tax.
—
Julia Manchester, The Hill, 28 Sep. 2025
There is little action that could be forced upon these platforms with today’s Section 230 protections for third-party content, but there is growing Republican support for reforming, or even repealing, the law.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 23 Sep. 2025
But in 1917, under the strain of wartime defense spending, lawmakers narrowed it by repealing the deduction for federal taxes.
—Joseph Thorndike, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Federal officials have said that repealing the rule would allow for more flexible management for local land managers and aid in preventing destructive wildfires.
—John Leos, AZCentral.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Its passage is a blow to leadership, which, in the past, has voted against repealing the AUMFs.
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 10 Sep. 2025
Florida’s Legislature would have to get involved in repealing the vaccine mandate, but DeSantis administration officials have some power on the issue.
—Emily Goodin, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
But there is also potential significant changes on the regulatory landscape, with the FCC mulling relaxing or repealing broadcast ownership rules that could alter the power dynamics in carriage negotiations.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025
Groups of students from the University of Havana demanded in June that a price increase on data navigation packages be reversed, a demand that was acknowledged by the government, but without repealing the measure.
—Gonzalo Zegarra, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2025
Julia Manchester, The Hill, 28 Sep. 2025
There is little action that could be forced upon these platforms with today’s Section 230 protections for third-party content, but there is growing Republican support for reforming, or even repealing, the law.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 23 Sep. 2025
But in 1917, under the strain of wartime defense spending, lawmakers narrowed it by repealing the deduction for federal taxes.
—Joseph Thorndike, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Federal officials have said that repealing the rule would allow for more flexible management for local land managers and aid in preventing destructive wildfires.
—John Leos, AZCentral.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Its passage is a blow to leadership, which, in the past, has voted against repealing the AUMFs.
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 10 Sep. 2025
Florida’s Legislature would have to get involved in repealing the vaccine mandate, but DeSantis administration officials have some power on the issue.
—Emily Goodin, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
But there is also potential significant changes on the regulatory landscape, with the FCC mulling relaxing or repealing broadcast ownership rules that could alter the power dynamics in carriage negotiations.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025
Groups of students from the University of Havana demanded in June that a price increase on data navigation packages be reversed, a demand that was acknowledged by the government, but without repealing the measure.
—Gonzalo Zegarra, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repealing
Verb
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The European Parliament has twice called for Yahaya’s release, asking Nigeria to set an example by abolishing the blasphemy laws under which he has been detained for over five years.—
Sean Nelson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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Both Biss and Abughazaleh support abolishing ICE, and the winner of their primary will be heavily favored to hold a seat whose voters backed Kamala Harris by 37 points last year.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Instead, agriculture accounts for nearly 90% of water usage, including withdrawing non-renewable water reserves.—
Nik Kowsar,
Time,
2 Oct. 2025
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Harry has twice sued Associated Newspapers for libel, winning one case and withdrawing the other, while his wife Meghan has also won a privacy lawsuit against the publisher.—
Michael Holden,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Hours later, his administration began canceling hundreds of NEA grants to arts groups across the country.—
Helen Molesworth,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
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The noise-cancelling setting ensures jam sessions won’t be interrupted by outside disturbances.—
Melody Kazel,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Moreover, the patches of skin behind the upper arms and on the trunk reveal that the reptile had powerful muscles for retracting its forelimbs.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Sep. 2025
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Perhaps that’s why his administration keeps dangling — and then retracting — the prospect of special exceptions for undocumented immigrants who work in certain sectors.—
Patricia Lopez,
Mercury News,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Still, large pools of undeployed capital remain available, and major institutional players show little sign of abandoning real estate as a core asset class.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
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Democrats returned to Washington to demonstrate unity and accuse GOP leaders of abandoning negotiations.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In June, a three-judge panel had ruled unanimously that teaching yoga is protected speech and that city officials had failed to show how the classes threaten public safety or prevent enjoyment of the city’s shoreline parks, overturning a lower court’s ruling.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Sep. 2025
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These were no youthful missteps corrected with time, but towering thinkers at the height of their powers overturning their own hard-won systems.—
Shai Tubali,
Big Think,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Even worse, Park and his conservative successors had been bolstered by the very imperial forces from which the South Koreans had hoped to escape, in exchange for renouncing their right to forgive and to hold Japan accountable.—
Eun A Jo,
Foreign Affairs,
23 Nov. 2022
Verb
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Over the last five years, the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services has brought hundreds of fraud cases that are heavily reliant on transactional data with the goal of revoking people’s food benefits.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
30 Sep. 2025
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Earlier this month, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed revoking requirements for companies to report greenhouse gas emissions.—
Max Rego,
The Hill,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Repealing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repealing. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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