renege

1 of 2

verb

re·​nege ri-ˈneg How to pronounce renege (audio)
also -ˈnāg, 
-ˈnig How to pronounce renege (audio)
rē-
reneged; reneging
Synonyms of renege

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

reneger

2 of 2

noun

re·​neg·​er
-gə(r)
plural -s
: one that reneges

Synonyms of renege

Relevance

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of renege in a Sentence

Verb 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
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.
Verb
But Iran has already threatened to renege on that pledge. — Deva Lee, CNN Money, 22 June 2026 For all the fun and disruption, the commitment to elite sport itself never felt reneged. — Megan Feringa, New York Times, 1 June 2026 But that’s precisely the commitment that American leaders have reneged on. — Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 19 May 2026 The New York Times reported that Mamdani had vowed to back Espaillat, and was now reneging on that commitment. — Joseph Strauss, Sun Sentinel, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for renege

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Medieval Latin renegare

First Known Use

Verb

1548, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of renege was in 1548

Rhymes for renege

See All Rhymes for renege

Browse Nearby Words

renegate
renege
reneger
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Renege.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/renege. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

renege

verb
re·​nege ri-ˈnig How to pronounce renege (audio) -ˈneg How to pronounce renege (audio)
-ˈnēg, 
-ˈnāg
reneged; reneging
1
: deny
2
: to go back on a promise or agreement
reneged on paying the debt
reneger noun

More from Merriam-Webster on renege

Nglish: Translation of renege for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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