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Synonym Chooser

How is the word repudiate different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of repudiate are decline, refuse, reject, and spurn. While all these words mean "to turn away by not accepting, receiving, or considering," repudiate implies a casting off or disowning as untrue, unauthorized, or unworthy of acceptance.

teenagers who repudiate the values of their parents

When can decline be used instead of repudiate?

The words decline and repudiate can be used in similar contexts, but decline often implies courteous refusal especially of offers or invitations.

declined his party's nomination

When is it sensible to use refuse instead of repudiate?

While in some cases nearly identical to repudiate, refuse suggests more positiveness or ungraciousness and often implies the denial of something asked for.

refused to lend them the money

Where would reject be a reasonable alternative to repudiate?

The words reject and repudiate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, reject implies a peremptory refusal by sending away or discarding.

rejected the manuscript as unpublishable

When is spurn a more appropriate choice than repudiate?

In some situations, the words spurn and repudiate are roughly equivalent. However, spurn stresses contempt or disdain in rejection or repudiation.

spurned his overtures of friendship

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of repudiate His failure to repudiate this culture shows that Persian ethno-nationalism still festers within the political class that claims to offer an alternative. Jila Andalib, Hartford Courant, 28 July 2025 Moscow repudiated responsibility which angered Baku further. Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025 In 2016, Trump pledged to renegotiate the treaty, but broke that promise by simply repudiating it. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 June 2025 This ideology, called Hindutva, was repudiated and marginalized by the country’s founders. Ashley J. Tellis, Foreign Affairs, 17 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for repudiate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repudiate
Verb
  • Alan Jackson, a lawyer for Joaquin, denied the charges.
    Luc Cohen, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
  • As press secretary, Jean-Pierre repeatedly denied reports regarding Biden’s mental fitness during his time in office.
    Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The search giant has refused to license content from news organizations and publishers, while other AI labs have done licensing deals.
    Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2025
  • For Jordan, that battle has meant staying grounded in his faith and refusing to let the disease isolate him.
    Essence, Essence, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • But Democrats have long conceded that the party needs a new vision after voters soundly rejected their presidential ticket last fall, and internal squabbles about the party’s future have spilled out into the public.
    Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2025
  • China has rejected the accusation and accused the Philippines of damaging the coral reef ecosystem in the waterway instead.
    Nectar Gan, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The reaction to this was dynamic, which for some meant withdrawing from opportunities and for others contributed to burnout and decisions to leave their jobs altogether.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • But Russia's prime minister, Mikhail Mishustin, signed a decree proposed by the Cabinet on August 25 to withdraw from the convention, and Putin has now submitted this to the Duma, which is likely to rubber stamp it.
    Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • That backup has since grown into a hundreds-strong campaign to refute the DHS allegations, which supporters call a resurgence of anti-Muslim fearmongering that has persisted across party lines since the 9/11 attacks 24 years ago this month.
    Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Days after the hearing, the leader of the Pentagon's office to investigate UFOs provided testimony of his own refuting some of the claims.
    Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Ross, one of the Democrats to decline AIPAC money, is a relative centrist, according to a GovTrack scorecard, while Foushee and McGarvey, Kentucky’s only House Democrat, are in the middle of the pack ideologically.
    David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • That has declined over the years because of budget constraints.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Once at the top or bottom, the Marswalker retracts the bracers and opens its doors again so that the S2 can be on its way while the Marswalker waits for the return trip.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Similarly, although an extensive Danish study showed no link between aluminum in vaccines and ASD, Kennedy demanded that the Annals of Internal Medicine, a prestigious medical journal, retract the study.
    Judy Stone, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Advertisement Lee also renounced any concept of gender roles, longing for full social equality regardless of gender or race.
    Barry Levitt, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
  • On another, the Internal Revenue Code stands ready with its expatriation tax regime—potentially ensnaring not only those who voluntarily renounce their citizenship but also those whose citizenship is stripped away.
    Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Repudiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repudiate. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.

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