Definition of repudiationnext
1
as in denial
a refusal to confirm the truth of a statement voters seemed satisfied by the candidate's public repudiation of the beliefs of an organization to which he had briefly belonged as a youth

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2
as in refusal
the act or practice of giving up or rejecting something once enjoyed or desired New Year's resolutions typically include the repudiation of chocolate and other indulgences and the promise to resume working out at the gym

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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 repudiation The repudiation of McKnight contrasted with recent similar incidents in which violent comments by Democrats failed to dent their electoral chances. Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 7 Nov. 2025 But communal norms have no room for the unique nature of their relationship; having learned of the friendship, Kammo’s aunt forbids the girl from associating with the Muslim Hamida, and this rupture reignites Hamida’s previous trauma of repudiation. JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2025 Garcia argues that the successful repudiation of the library crackdown is evidence that the city council’s right-wing approach doesn’t fully represent residents’ values. Calmatters, Mercury News, 20 Oct. 2025 Her self-annihilation is grisly and impossible to misinterpret as a final repudiation of her role in the HMS Courageous bombing and, until Grace announces she’d like Hal to be her vice-president, is the most intense and far-reaching twist of the episode. Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for repudiation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repudiation
Noun
  • The spiral of events that follow ups the pathos while quietly commenting on rigid patriarchal rules, male privilege, sanctimonious moral posturing, the denial of women’s bodily autonomy and contempt for otherness, things all still very much with us today.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 15 Feb. 2026
  • As her power-hungry characters go through the five stages of grief, denial is the hardest one to let go of.
    Marta Balaga, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The tension in Hines’s version lies in Bessette’s refusal to conform to the role.
    Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
  • And six in 10 view Republicans’ refusal to accept changes requested by Democrats negatively.
    Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • This proved to be the initial step on a path that eventually led to my rejection of the faith in which I’d been raised.
    Christopher Beha, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
  • That rejection of redemption is precisely what makes these stories indispensable now.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Keep in mind, though, that renunciation is considered permanent.
    Liz Weston, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
  • Annual renunciations surged to a record high of 6,705 in 2020, with numbers remaining elevated ever since, according to immigration services company Boundless.
    Medora Lee, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Not one for false abnegation of words distorted by smears, Rushdie doubles down on his right to freedom of expression, defending his dissent from religious orthodoxy.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 25 Jan. 2026
  • That, for me, feels like an abnegation of our responsibility in theater.
    Sarah Crompton, Vogue, 20 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Repudiation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repudiation. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.

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