as in to retract
to solemnly or formally reject or go back on (as something formerly adhered to)
the witness tried to unsay the very testimony that he had given a few days earlier
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 unsay
The truth that is often unsaid: NFL teams are required to report each of their 30 visits to the league office, and every team in the league gets access to that information.
—
Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
Answer too quickly and risk revealing biases best left unsaid, these neighborhood guardians are perhaps too slow to learn.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 21 Apr. 2026
The uncomfortable reality is that influence rarely goes to the best idea left unsaid.
—Harrison Monarth, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2026
Advertisement Also left unsaid: the true drain on the economy this fighting has unleashed.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsay
Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
Answer too quickly and risk revealing biases best left unsaid, these neighborhood guardians are perhaps too slow to learn.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 21 Apr. 2026
The uncomfortable reality is that influence rarely goes to the best idea left unsaid.
—Harrison Monarth, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2026
Advertisement Also left unsaid: the true drain on the economy this fighting has unleashed.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsay
Verb
-
Elon Musk, SpaceX’s founder and CEO, attributed the scrub to a hydraulic pin that failed to retract on an umbilical arm connecting the launch tower to the rocket.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
22 May 2026
-
Eveningside’s smaller arms holding on to the chains while Morningside’s longer arms propelled them, her fists and excess joints braced against the ground; their span lengthening, extending and retracting in the girls’ to and fro.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Beijing has never renounced the use of force to unify Taiwan with the Chinese mainland.—
Jan Camenzind Broomby,
NPR,
14 May 2026
-
Everyone in our state should renounce and denounce these defamatory attacks.—
Ashley Paul,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
This statute of limitations can effectively block student loan forgiveness for borrowers who seek Borrower Defense relief too long after withdrawing or graduating.—
Adam S. Minsky,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
-
García and Calvo have had a strained relationship since both attempted to run for office in the city, although García eventually withdrew from the race.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
The council had previously denied a similar zoning change and conditional use permit that included townhouses in July 2024.—
Fousia Abdullahi,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 May 2026
-
Ingram denies any wrongdoing and says the settlement included no admission of liability or fault.—
Chadd Cripe. Produced with AI assistance,
Idaho Statesman,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
Djena stood silently nearby while Denise spoke, suppressing the urge to contradict Denise’s lies.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
However, prosecutors said his account was contradicted by video of the incident, physical evidence, and accounts by the victims.—
Ashley Killough,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unsay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsay. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
