renege

verb

re·​nege ri-ˈneg 

 also  -ˈnāg,

-ˈnig;

rē- 

reneged; reneging

intransitive verb

1

: to go back on a promise or commitment

2

: revoke

3

obsolete : to make a denial

transitive verb

: deny, renounce

reneger noun

Synonyms

• back down
• back off
• back out
• cop out
• fink out

Examples of renege in a Sentence

They had promised to pay her tuition but later reneged.

my so-called best friend promised to help me move, only to renege come Saturday morning

Recent Examples on the Web

Now, the state has reneged on those agreements, stopped funding prescription costs for retirees and has farmed us out to private companies. —Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 21 Feb. 2025

But the city gradually reneged on that promise around the time of the Great Recession 15 years ago. —Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 23 Jan. 2025

Hamilton is accused of offering to pay recruits in exchange for committing and enrolling at FSU in 2023, inducing the recruits to act on the promise, and reneging on his promise. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 30 Dec. 2024

The timing of the bill’s passage, just after Republican President-elect Donald Trump’s victory in the Nov. 5 election, led to accusations from House Democrats like Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) that their GOP colleagues had reneged on promises to pass the bill in a nonpartisan manner. —Kaelan Deese, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 24 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin renegare

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for renege

• big
• brig
• brigg
• dig
• fig
• gig
• jig
• mig
• pig
• prig
• rig
• sprig

Kids Definition

renege

verb

re·​nege ri-ˈnig  -ˈneg 

-ˈnēg,

-ˈnāg

reneged; reneging

1

: deny

2

: to go back on a promise or agreement

reneged on paying the debt

reneger noun