Definition of repudiatenext
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Synonym Chooser

How is the word repudiate different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of repudiate are decline, refuse, reject, and spurn. While all these words mean "to turn away by not accepting, receiving, or considering," repudiate implies a casting off or disowning as untrue, unauthorized, or unworthy of acceptance.

teenagers who repudiate the values of their parents

When can decline be used instead of repudiate?

The words decline and repudiate can be used in similar contexts, but decline often implies courteous refusal especially of offers or invitations.

declined his party's nomination

When is it sensible to use refuse instead of repudiate?

While in some cases nearly identical to repudiate, refuse suggests more positiveness or ungraciousness and often implies the denial of something asked for.

refused to lend them the money

Where would reject be a reasonable alternative to repudiate?

The words reject and repudiate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, reject implies a peremptory refusal by sending away or discarding.

rejected the manuscript as unpublishable

When is spurn a more appropriate choice than repudiate?

In some situations, the words spurn and repudiate are roughly equivalent. However, spurn stresses contempt or disdain in rejection or repudiation.

spurned his overtures of friendship

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 repudiate By making a presumption of guilt and of the state’s inerrancy, the attorney general is repudiating the rule of law, which is grounded in the state’s obligation to prove its case. Paul Rosenzweig, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2026 For those who recall the impunity of those years, Kast’s election signifies an end to a thirty-five-year period in which most Chileans repudiated Pinochet’s legacy. Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2025 Many conservatives repudiated parts of the political left for not more forcefully condemning Kirk’s killing. Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 17 Dec. 2025 It's been repudiated in the past. Allison Pecorin, ABC News, 10 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for repudiate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repudiate
Verb
  • Aljorna and Sosa-Celis denied assaulting the officer.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Feb. 2026
  • Decades later, Faraci cooperated with Modrowski’s lawyer during the post-conviction proceedings and submitted two affidavits in 2019 and 2011 denying Modrowski was involved, court records show.
    Christy Gutowski, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Protesters stood in front of the main gate and refused to leave.
    Michael Collins, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
  • If at a certain point the person refuses to cooperate, recruiters resort to blackmail, Andriy said, threatening to hand over the correspondence to the SBU.
    Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Zelenskyy previously stressed that the timing and format of any elections are matters solely for Ukraine and its citizens, rejecting any suggestion that the Kremlin could dictate the process.
    Ashley Carnahan, FOXNews.com, 11 Feb. 2026
  • The council also rejected, narrowly, a flat 2% increase suggested by Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez in a 7-8 vote.
    Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Born rich, yet sought a life of poverty Born into a merchant family in the Umbrian town of Assisi, in present-day Italy, around 1181, Francis famously renounced his family’s wealth.
    Vanessa Corcoran, The Conversation, 2 Feb. 2026
  • Through the request, Franyelis renounced her claim to seek asylum in the United States and asked Reingold to let her self-deport.
    Maeva Bambuck, CNN Money, 1 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • This is a political tactic of the most crude sort, making no effort to refute an argument but to instead impugn the motives of those making it, along with the assumption that people with white skin can always and forever have only suspect motives.
    Bradley Gitz, Arkansas Online, 9 Feb. 2026
  • Browsh refutes the idea the NFL chose Bad Bunny as a political stunt.
    Jake Angelo, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The driver and bicyclist declined to be transported to the hospital, according to officials.
    David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 6 Feb. 2026
  • The sheriff declined to answer several questions, including one from a reporter who asked if there was a ransom demanded.
    Adam Sabes , Michael Ruiz , Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • However, that petition was later withdrawn in 2025, the complaint said.
    Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
  • China has invested little in Russia’s economy, and nowhere near the amount that the West withdrew after Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
    Alan Cullison, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The strongback support has retracted for launch.
    Josh Dinner, Space.com, 13 Feb. 2026
  • AppLovin last month demanded that CapitalWatch, a short seller, retract its 35-page report.
    Scott Schnipper, CNBC, 9 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Repudiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repudiate. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

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