1
2
3
4

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

Examples 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 Decent, good-hearted people of all political persuasions can join together with their fellow Americans to repudiate fear-mongering and scapegoating by voting in massive numbers for Democrats up and down the ballot. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 20 Sep. 2024 Under Narendra Modi, India bolstered protectionist policies, repudiating a 30-year-old domestic consensus in favor of free trade. Dev Patel, Foreign Affairs, 12 June 2024 Thousands of protesters took to the streets on Monday to repudiate Maduro’s claim of clinching a third six-year term in power. Sam Meredith, CNBC, 30 July 2024 Instead, Roth made his Borderlands look like the video games that the franchise repudiated in the late aughts, with Blanchett’s hair standing out even more amid the drab settings. Allegra Frank, TIME, 9 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for repudiate 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repudiate
Verb
  • Harris would make history as the first woman president, an achievement Trump denied Clinton in 2016.
    W. James Antle III, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 5 Nov. 2024
  • In 2016, the campaign of Green Party candidate Jill Stein requested a recount that was fully undertaken in Wisconsin, and requested one in Michigan (which was halted) and Pennsylvania (which was denied).
    Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • The surviving victim of the shooting initially provided some information to police, but after recovering from his injuries denied any knowledge of who shot him and refused to cooperate, authorities said.
    Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
  • Vice President Kamala Harris refused to accept any responsibility for the inflation that has devastated the middle-class and lower-income groups.
    Richard Stacy, The Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Despite high-profile endorsements and millions of dollars spent on advertising, Colorado voters rejected Initiative 131.
    Krista Kafer, The Denver Post, 11 Nov. 2024
  • In 2018, Arizona voters overwhelmingly rejected school vouchers.
    Eli Hager, ProPublica, 9 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • There are vague references to Wyler’s work in Kabul and Beirut and her concerns for Afghan women after the U.S. withdrew from the country.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024
  • The day after the deal, the United States government offered to withdraw sanctions on Venezuelan oil, gas, sovereign bonds and gold.
    Tirana Hassan, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • The Arizona secretary of state has refuted these claims as false.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
  • The Arizona Secretary of State has refuted the video’s claim.
    Thomas Brewster, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • And when the stock market declined, the incumbent party lost in eight out of nine cases, giving this trend an 83 percent accuracy in predicting election outcomes, LPL Financial's chief technical strategist Adam Turnquist says.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Li has seen its average selling prices decline by about 15% year-over-year to RMB 270,000 during the most recent quarter.
    Trefis Team, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • After a defamation lawsuit, the film’s publishers, Salem Media Group, retracted the film, removing it from its platforms, and said there wouldn't be any future distribution of the book.
    Dhruv Mehrotra, WIRED, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Grade 2: There is more scarring, and the milk ducts are retracted.
    Brandi Jones, MSN-Ed, Health, 2 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Others, such as Brazil and India, work with Russia as members of BRICS but want to reform rather than renounce the existing global order.
    Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 7 Nov. 2024
  • Left and right, fearful of political backlash and empowered by dog whistling on the right, companies have been slowly revoking and renouncing their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, as well as policies designed to lift up employees of color.
    Gayle Jennings, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2024

Podcast

Thesaurus Entries Near repudiate

Cite this Entry

“Repudiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repudiate. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on repudiate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!