negate

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as in to discredit
to think not to be true or real you simply can't negate your feelings for someone, even if they don't feel the same way about you

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb negate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of negate are abrogate, annul, invalidate, and nullify. While all these words mean "to deprive of effective or continued existence," negate implies the destruction or canceling out of each of two things by the other.

the arguments negate each other

How do abrogate and annul relate to one another, in the sense of negate?

Abrogate is like annul but more definitely implies a legal or official act.

a law to abrogate trading privileges

When is it sensible to use annul instead of negate?

The words annul and negate can be used in similar contexts, but annul suggests making ineffective or nonexistent often by legal or official action.

the treaty annuls all previous agreements

When could invalidate be used to replace negate?

The synonyms invalidate and negate are sometimes interchangeable, but invalidate implies making something powerless or unacceptable by declaration of its logical or moral or legal unsoundness.

the court invalidated the statute

When might nullify be a better fit than negate?

In some situations, the words nullify and negate are roughly equivalent. However, nullify implies counteracting completely the force, effectiveness, or value of something.

a penalty nullified the touchdown

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 negate So rather than legislate away the waitlists, the prevailing strategy is to go through an exercise of finding inefficiencies in Medicaid and scrutinizing eligibility ― through another piece of legislation, Senate Bill 2 ― in the hope that the cost savings will negate the need for them. Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 2 July 2025 What passes for liberation is often just liberalization—the freedom of the market, in other words, which not only differs from existential freedom but sometimes negates it. Jia Tolentino, New Yorker, 23 June 2025 The two-week timeline opens the door for negotiations, but does not negate the possibility of U.S. involvement. Simmone Shah, Time, 19 June 2025 Natural gas has been the recent winner as jurisdictions require reliable power above all else, given that a blackout could negate all the AI model training up to that point in time. Mark Le Dain, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for negate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for negate
Verb
  • Trump denies writing the letter and sued the newspaper's publisher over the story July 18.
    Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 22 July 2025
  • But Iran denies any such ambition to build a nuclear bomb, and accuses Israel of being the main aggressor in the region.
    Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 July 2025
Verb
  • The poem became an anthem for abolishing convict labor in Florida.
    Time, Time, 17 July 2025
  • Those who call for abolishing ICE or halting deportations rarely grapple with what that would actually mean: open borders in all but name.
    Robert W Hood, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 July 2025
Verb
  • This is mainly an effort to discredit and demonize property taxes, which DeSantis wants to abolish or severely curtail in Florida.
    Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 26 July 2025
  • Trump’s theory here, juiced by Gabbard, is that Obama used talk of Russian election interference to discredit Trump’s 2016 election win and hobble his first term in office.
    Chris Brennan, USA Today, 24 July 2025
Verb
  • Bondi also said that although the names of several other high-profile figures were mentioned, the investigators did not find a client list or evidence refuting that Epstein died by suicide.
    Jade Walker, CNN Money, 24 July 2025
  • But Hunter was quick to refute this claim, arguing that at large events where the president is meeting several people, introductions are the norm.
    Shania Russell, EW.com, 21 July 2025
Verb
  • Unlike the Biden administration, Trump officials have not fought in the courts to preserve SAVE, and recently, Congress repealed the plan altogether.
    Annie Nova, CNBC, 1 Aug. 2025
  • On day one of his second term, President Trump repealed sanctions on 30 Israeli settlers and settler organizations accused of engaging in violence in the West Bank.
    Bay City News, Mercury News, 31 July 2025
Verb
  • While there can be many other reasons why your application is rejected, a qualifiable versus quantifiable resume could be a contributing factor.
    Kate Wieczorek, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
  • In September 2024, Arsenal fielded a late enquiry for Trossard from Saudi Pro League club Al Ittihad, but the offer came too late for Arsenal to source a replacement, so it was rejected.
    James McNicholas, New York Times, 29 July 2025
Verb
  • Timberlake has had to cancel multiple dates on the tour.
    Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2025
  • Eleven months ago, Queens of the Stone Age cancelled all the remaining dates on their 2024 tour to allow singer Josh Homme to focus on his health.
    Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 31 July 2025
Verb
  • Close the blinds and curtains on sun-facing windows to block the sun's rays and avoid unwanted heat.
    Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 25 July 2025
  • In his exit memo, Bennett urged the commission to avoid micromanaging the negotiation process and instead focus on big-picture policy, public engagement and trust-building.
    Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Negate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/negate. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.

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