1
as in withdrew
to break a promise or agreement
my so-called best friend promised to help me move, only to renege come Saturday morning
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in renounced
to solemnly or formally reject or go back on (as something formerly adhered to)
refused to renege the principles by which she had always lived her life, even if it resulted in losing her business
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of reneged
For all the fun and disruption, the commitment to elite sport itself never felt reneged.
—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
People made clear that the story of Colorado becoming a state should include talk of the Sand Creek massacre and other atrocities, treaties reneged on and the treatment of children at Indian boarding schools.
—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
20 May 2026
But that’s precisely the commitment that American leaders have reneged on.
—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
19 May 2026
Well, Hamas promised to do it and reneged.
—
CBS News,
10 May 2026
And though the president reneged on an initiative to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz hours after Rubio touted it to the press, Rubio's performance elicited largely rave reviews on the political right.
—
Justin Papp,
CNBC,
6 May 2026
None of that happens if Lesch’s shoulder had held on or if the Dodgers had reneged on their deal.
—
Los Angeles Times,
4 May 2026
Bruce Blakeman, a Long Island Republican county executive who is challenging Hochul, said the governor reneged on her promise not to levy new taxes.
—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
16 Apr. 2026
At time of writing, Iran has reneged on reopening the Strait of Hormuz owing to Israeli strikes on Lebanon, where at least 254 people were killed on Wednesday, according to Lebanon’s Civil Defence, marking the deadliest day of the entire conflict.
—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
9 Apr. 2026
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
People made clear that the story of Colorado becoming a state should include talk of the Sand Creek massacre and other atrocities, treaties reneged on and the treatment of children at Indian boarding schools.
—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
20 May 2026
But that’s precisely the commitment that American leaders have reneged on.
—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
19 May 2026
Well, Hamas promised to do it and reneged.
—
CBS News,
10 May 2026
And though the president reneged on an initiative to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz hours after Rubio touted it to the press, Rubio's performance elicited largely rave reviews on the political right.
—
Justin Papp,
CNBC,
6 May 2026
None of that happens if Lesch’s shoulder had held on or if the Dodgers had reneged on their deal.
—
Los Angeles Times,
4 May 2026
Bruce Blakeman, a Long Island Republican county executive who is challenging Hochul, said the governor reneged on her promise not to levy new taxes.
—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
16 Apr. 2026
At time of writing, Iran has reneged on reopening the Strait of Hormuz owing to Israeli strikes on Lebanon, where at least 254 people were killed on Wednesday, according to Lebanon’s Civil Defence, marking the deadliest day of the entire conflict.
—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
9 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reneged
Verb
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After starring in a slew of movies with each other, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen withdrew from the spotlight to focus on launching The Row, a luxury fashion brand, in 2005.
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Del Toro beat him at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes last month before Seixas later withdrew with injury — and UAE domestiques have made it onto the podium before, such as Adam Yates in 2024.
Verb
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The 58-year-old construction tycoon renounced his Ukrainian citizenship in 2017, Ukrainian media reported, and has been a citizen of Cyprus since 2019.
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What follows are dozens of examples of how those whose names are familiar (or aren’t) and legendary (or infamous) for their actions while representing the state have been embraced (or renounced) by the rest of the country and beyond.
Verb
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The teen also recalled being denied the ability to contact his mother for days after he was hospitalized.
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Dong recalled that dread ran deep because his tiny boat might capsize if the winds and waves picked up.
Verb
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As soon as the error was realized, the story was retracted and removed from NPR’s website and an on-air correction was broadcast.
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The journal typically adds a large RETRACTED notice across digital papers that have been retracted, leaving them available for download.
Verb
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The actor was a replacement after Madonna backed out, leaving the proto-rave tune one of the era’s most unlikely collaborations.
-
Reardon added that some dock space rentals have been canceled, and Airbnb renters have backed out.
Verb
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Graf denied a defense request to force Robinson's partner to travel from Texas to testify in person.
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Historically, the Catholic Church had denied religious funerals inside its houses of worship as well as traditional burials for those who died in this way.
Verb
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He was originally committed to USC but backed off that pledge in May.
-
Syria then did and Obama backed off a military response.
Verb
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These emergency decisions have thrown lower courts’ processes into turmoil and have sometimes directly contradicted longstanding legal precedent.
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Jorge Rodríguez, the president of the National Assembly, announced Monday that the official toll stood at 1,719 people killed and 5,000 injured, and warned the public against sharing information that contradicted authorities.
Cite this Entry
“Reneged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reneged. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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