Definition of repudiatenext
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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 By making a presumption of guilt and of the state’s inerrancy, the attorney general is repudiating the rule of law, which is grounded in the state’s obligation to prove its case. Paul Rosenzweig, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2026 For those who recall the impunity of those years, Kast’s election signifies an end to a thirty-five-year period in which most Chileans repudiated Pinochet’s legacy. Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2025 Many conservatives repudiated parts of the political left for not more forcefully condemning Kirk’s killing. Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 17 Dec. 2025 It's been repudiated in the past. Allison Pecorin, ABC News, 10 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for repudiate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repudiate
Verb
  • The judge, who is noticeably losing patience with Cox, denied a closed hearing.
    Amy DeLaura, The Washington Examiner, 7 Mar. 2026
  • Israel, which has denied conducting the strike, has focused on areas of Iran closer to Israel and hasn’t reported conducting any strikes south of Isfahan, 500 miles away.
    Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • More than a year later, with much of the Palisades still in ruins, LAFD leaders have refused to explain how or why the breakdowns occurred.
    Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
  • Tommy Thompson, a research scientist who was imprisoned for a decade after refusing to disclose where an 1800s shipwreck's gold coins were being stored, was released, according to federal Bureau of Prisons records.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • In a further escalation of tensions with Kyiv, Hungary's parliament on Tuesday passed a resolution giving the government the green light to oppose Ukraine's path to joining the European Union and reject any initiatives to supply Ukraine with weapons or funding.
    JUSTIN SPIKE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Arkansas Online, 11 Mar. 2026
  • On Tuesday, officials representing Seligman urged the council to reject the compensation agreements and instead sell the property to Seligman.
    David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • 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
  • Even as her hard-line tactics have shown some success, Sheinbaum has not renounced the precepts of López Obrador, who, while retired, remains a revered and influential figure.
    Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Why won’t they be refuted easily?
    Jim Cramer, CNBC, 8 Mar. 2026
  • The new ad campaign appears to be an extension of his work to refute the anti-California narrative.
    Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Meanwhile, Iranian retaliatory attacks appear to be declining — ballistic missile strikes have fallen by 90% and drone attacks by 83%, according to US Central Command — potentially easing pressure on Gulf states that have faced Iranian strikes in recent days.
    Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Bonta’s office declined to comment.
    Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • His son withdrew from high school.
    James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Worries about a possible data center coming to Spring Hill have been put to rest, after the applicant on Friday withdrew its request to rezone more than 300 acres of agricultural land for industrial use.
    Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The outdoor space here is also enormous, and in the warmer months, glass walls retract for a lively indoor-outdoor scene.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Mar. 2026
  • The largest study of the medication included only 77 children and was retracted in January because of errors in its data analysis.
    Sara Novak, Scientific American, 5 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Repudiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repudiate. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.

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