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 Whatever the specifics were, this looks like voters repudiated the new voting processes that made the odds lower for any one candidate to advance. Dianna Russini, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026 Any unilateral invasion is a pretext for any other unilateral invasion, which is why each must always be repudiated, regardless of the moral justification. Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026 And she’s really rejected, repudiated by the Venezuelan people. Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 6 Jan. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for repudiate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repudiate
Verb
  • For certain great artists, Meis believes, the creative act is a safe harbor where life’s pressures, exigencies, and calamities aren’t so much denied or resolved as reimagined as pictorial dramas.
    Jed Perl, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
  • Judge Antonio Arzola denied the request for a standard bond, citing probable cause, and issued an elevated $5,000 bond.
    Nikiya Carrero, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Increasingly, judges are opting to sanction lawyers who submit briefs tainted by AI errors, Moylan said, sometimes fining those who refuse to admit wrongdoing or referring them to their state’s bar association for disciplinary actions.
    Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Like the impish anti-romance that crumbles around it, the movie’s twist is both transgressive enough to be pleased with itself and also rooted in a reality that refuses to be dismissed as a bad joke.
    David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Olsson rejects The Athletic’s offer to take cover inside the coffee shop.
    Megan Feringa, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Last week, for example, the UK government rejected plans by a Chinese company, Ming Yang, to invest in a Scottish factory to produce wind turbine blades, citing national security reasons.
    Andy Browne, semafor.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Should the chain of citizenship break somewhere along the line, however, where an ancestor renounced their citizenship, rights to Canadian citizenship end there.
    Vivian Song, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2026
  • The German Jews were the founders of American Reform Judaism, which renounced dietary laws, bar mitzvahs, and Zionism.
    Adam Kirsch, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Jones, who lived in San Francisco for years before moving to Napa, refuted the insinuation of carpetbagging.
    Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 27 Mar. 2026
  • Saatchi, at least, welcomes pushback — and at times doesn’t even refute it.
    David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Both declined interview requests.
    Richard Ramos, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
  • The Backstreet Boys member attempted to use the video to press battery charges against Gallagher, but prosecutors declined to do so after seeing the video supported Gallagher's version of events, per the outlet.
    Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • In the face of growing opposition generated in part by allegations of his misconduct, Gaetz withdrew.
    Austin Sarat, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2026
  • Each retiree withdraws $50,000 per year.
    Doug Ashburn, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Some umbrellas are designed with an easy-push-button open and closure feature that allows users to conveniently push a button to retract the umbrella.
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
  • However, Anthropic later partially retracted the takedown, scaling it down to only one repository and 96 fork URLs.
    Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 1 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Repudiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repudiate. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

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