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

Advertisement Netanyahu’s office accused Hamas of reneging on parts of the agreement in an attempt to gain further concessions — without specifying which parts. —Tia Goldenberg, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025

By unilaterally closing College Walk without consultation or any plan for reopening, the university is reneging on the very terms that made this arrangement possible in the first place, leaving the community completely out in the cold. —Victor Edwards, New York Daily News, 15 Jan. 2025

But one club - the one who signs Sasaki - is going to renege on all of their unofficial commitments and give their entire bonus pool to Sasaki. —Tony Blengino, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) suggested Wednesday that Democrats will oppose any federal spending bill that strays from the bipartisan deal announced a day prior, accusing GOP leaders of reneging on the agreement and risking a government shutdown. —Mike Lillis, The Hill, 18 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin renegare

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

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