as in retracting
to solemnly or formally reject or go back on (as something formerly adhered to)
the Inquisition forced Galileo to recant his support of the Copernican observation that the earth revolves around the sun
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Recent Examples of recanting
But in 1999, the four men were arrested, with Springsteen and Scott confessing and later recanting, according to the AP.
—
Emily Shapiro,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2026
Campbell also dismissed the third eyewitness recanting her testimony, saying there's no evidence of tampering during the trial.
—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
26 Jan. 2026
Lunsford ended up recanting his statement when questioned again, this time by a district attorney’s investigator.
—
Tony Saavedra,
Oc Register,
17 Sep. 2025
However, in a 2024 court filing known as a coram nobis petition, Zachary Adams revealed Autry was recanting his testimony and asked for a new trial.
—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Emily Shapiro,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2026
Campbell also dismissed the third eyewitness recanting her testimony, saying there's no evidence of tampering during the trial.
—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
26 Jan. 2026
Lunsford ended up recanting his statement when questioned again, this time by a district attorney’s investigator.
—
Tony Saavedra,
Oc Register,
17 Sep. 2025
However, in a 2024 court filing known as a coram nobis petition, Zachary Adams revealed Autry was recanting his testimony and asked for a new trial.
—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recanting
Verb
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The remote control has mixed reviews, with this seemingly retracting from its otherwise glowing reviews.
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said in a recall notice that the seat belts in certain Expedition and Lincoln vehicles may inadvertently lock, preventing the belt from retracting or extending.
Verb
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Corbett, of Palatine, announced his independent candidacy days after renouncing the current state of the Republican Party and dropping his consulting business work with GOP contenders.
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The program calls for the recognition of Israel and renouncing armed struggle, effectively sidelining Hamas and other factions.
Verb
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While conventional wisdom had long been that consumers should build up a certain level of savings — six months' worth of living expenses, for example — those who study the accounts now consider saving to be a dynamic process of paying in, withdrawing, and then replenishing.
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The military held a similar security strip from 1985 until 2000, before withdrawing after years of steady casualties, a toll that is accumulating once again.
Verb
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But there’s no denying McIlroy was looking sleek with his Masters jacket, which was accompanied by a white shirt and green tie to match.
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Responsible leadership means proactively preparing the enterprise workforce for this imminent organizational down-sizing and structural workplace transition rather than denying its clear historical inevitability.
Verb
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Over the same period, entry-level head count at the high-intensity firms rose 12%, contradicting predictions and fears that young or inexperienced workers would be most at risk of losing their jobs to AI.
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This morning, the sun in Cancer will form a contradicting alignment with Pluto retrograde in Aquarius, creating a subtle but consistent undercurrent that something needs to change.
Cite this Entry
“Recanting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recanting. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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