as in denial
a refusal to confirm the truth of a statement
the mayor's disavowal of the rumor that a terrorist threat had been received put our minds at rest
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 disavowal
Pelicot is troubled by her children’s immediate disavowal of their father, of their entire childhood.
—
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2026
But with Rourke’s strong disavowal, Hines also wanted to assure fans that there was nothing shady about the GoFundMe.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 6 Jan. 2026
The 2025 version manages just eight mentions, including a sharp disavowal.
—Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
Nile is skeletal like Jared Kushner; his thinness is foreboding, marking a disavowal of all that is sensual.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2025
Mamdani initially tried to stay on-message, offering a quick disavowal of an unsavory association or controversial past statement and pivoting back his agenda.
—Ben Adler, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025
The post marks a significant shift from the President’s past disavowals of the unpopular right-wing policy blueprint, which was created by conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation ahead of the 2024 election.
—Connor Greene, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
Anderson saw something in the artist formerly known as Marky Mark, who’d only made the transition from musical artist to actor three years earlier, that Wahlberg still doesn’t see in himself, if his disavowal of the movie is any indication.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
But the new wave of disavowals represents the latest sign that the conflict, which has killed thousands of Palestinians, has become polarizing within the mainstream of the party.
—David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2026
But with Rourke’s strong disavowal, Hines also wanted to assure fans that there was nothing shady about the GoFundMe.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 6 Jan. 2026
The 2025 version manages just eight mentions, including a sharp disavowal.
—Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
Nile is skeletal like Jared Kushner; his thinness is foreboding, marking a disavowal of all that is sensual.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2025
Mamdani initially tried to stay on-message, offering a quick disavowal of an unsavory association or controversial past statement and pivoting back his agenda.
—Ben Adler, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025
The post marks a significant shift from the President’s past disavowals of the unpopular right-wing policy blueprint, which was created by conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation ahead of the 2024 election.
—Connor Greene, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
Anderson saw something in the artist formerly known as Marky Mark, who’d only made the transition from musical artist to actor three years earlier, that Wahlberg still doesn’t see in himself, if his disavowal of the movie is any indication.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
But the new wave of disavowals represents the latest sign that the conflict, which has killed thousands of Palestinians, has become polarizing within the mainstream of the party.
—David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disavowal
Noun
-
The filing includes email correspondence between the PTPA and the two federations, detailing the denials.—
Ava Wallace,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
-
The denial of Ukrainian political and cultural independence is grounded in the ideas of Russkiy mir.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
The part purportedly written by Vazquez mentions years of ridicule and rejection — one of the few full sentences of his written in all caps.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 May 2026
-
Republicans hailed the rejection of the gas tax increase after it was trounced by voters.—
Claire Rush,
Fortune,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disavowal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disavowal. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
