reneged

verb

past tense of renege
1
as in withdrew
to break a promise or agreement my so-called best friend promised to help me move, only to renege come Saturday morning

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in renounced
to solemnly or formally reject or go back on (as something formerly adhered to) refused to renege the principles by which she had always lived her life, even if it resulted in losing her business

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 reneged The Hollister Democrat signed off on the deal with Newsom and Senate President Pro Tem Monique Limon (D-Santa Barbara), but reneged at the last minute under pressure from the Assembly Democratic Caucus. — Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026 In October, Stellantis reneged on a pledge to build the Jeep Compass in Canada, instead committing production of that vehicle to Illinois, the same plant that is now facing delay. — Liam Rappleye, Freep.com, 14 Aug. 2026 The lawsuit says the HFPA members were promised lifetime Golden Globes tickets and voting privileges, along with other perks, which Penske reneged on by attaching unworkable conditions. — Andrew Dalton, Fortune, 29 July 2026 For all the fun and disruption, the commitment to elite sport itself never felt reneged. — Megan Feringa, New York Times, 1 June 2026 People made clear that the story of Colorado becoming a state should include talk of the Sand Creek massacre and other atrocities, treaties reneged on and the treatment of children at Indian boarding schools. — Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 20 May 2026 But that’s precisely the commitment that American leaders have reneged on. — Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 19 May 2026 Well, Hamas promised to do it and reneged. — CBS News, 10 May 2026 And though the president reneged on an initiative to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz hours after Rubio touted it to the press, Rubio's performance elicited largely rave reviews on the political right. — Justin Papp, CNBC, 6 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reneged
  1. withdrew
  2. renounced
  3. recalled
  4. retracted
  5. backed out
  6. denied
  7. backed off
  8. contradicted
Verb
  • In July, Cooper withdrew her petition to sponsor Jean Louis' visa, according to documents reviewed by Fox29.
    — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
  • As that enormous dome thinned through the Holocene, its margin withdrew up onto Baffin Island, and what’s left today is the deflated core of something that was once two miles thick.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of withdrew
Verb
  • The great religious thinkers of Antiquity—from Gautama to Pythagoras to Jesus—taught that property should be renounced or held in common.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026
  • China claims Taiwan as its sovereign territory and has never renounced the use of force to achieve unification.
    — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of renounced
Verb
  • Police detained Runa at the care home and took her away before her mother, who had rushed back to the facility upon hearing the news, had a chance to see her, Yoko recalled.
    — Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Following that experience, Nakira recalled being constantly on the move.
    — Anja Aronowsky Cronberg, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of recalled
Verb
  • The analysis shows how severely the department’s Office for Civil Rights has retracted from its mission, launching an average of about 100 new investigations a month — 1,839 total from Inauguration Day in 2025 through July 2026.
    — Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 22 Oct. 2026
  • And not all of the proofs were certified as correct by the automatic logic verification platform Lean—in fact, some have already been retracted after outside scientists found mistakes.
    — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of retracted
Verb
  • But Baltimore backed out of its trade for Maxx Crosby, and thus this Chiefs-Raiders game, like many in the past, will have the Chiefs’ best player under fire from the top player on the other side.
    — Scott Chasen, Kansas City Star, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Tickets are still widely available and became even more available once the supporting acts backed out.
    — Kristina Rex, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of backed out
Verb
  • Opposition activists have accused Venezuela's government of blocking Machado's return, a claim denied by Venezuelan authorities.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Opposition activists have accused Venezuela’s government of blocking Machado’s return, a claim denied by Venezuelan authorities.
    — Regina Garcia Cano, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of denied
Verb
  • Four-star offensive lineman Jatori Williams backed off his commitment, announcing his decision on social media.
    — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Costello almost released his earliest recordings 35 years ago, then backed off.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of backed off
Verb
  • Another questioned whether the move contradicted Fox's earlier public comments about objectification.
    — Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Criminal charges against the ICE officer who drove the vehicle are being considered by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, after surveillance footage contradicted ICE’s claim that Parra Hernandez stepped in front of the vehicle.
    — Lekan Oyekanmi, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of contradicted

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Cite this Entry

“Reneged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reneged. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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