My parents would repudiate my brother if they ever found out he was gay.
Source: tatoeba (1979)
Repudiate
/ɹɪˈpjuː.di.eɪt/
Synonyms for "repudiate" (183 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (37)
Strong matches (55)
Related words (91)
gainsaygohold outhold out againstignoreimpugnjoin issue uponkeep outkissleave outlevantloathelock outnegatenegativenot acceptnot admitnot buynot consentnot hear of
Show 66 more words
not paynot think ofnullifyomitopposeostracizepass bypass overpass upprecludeprohibitprotestpush asideratrebuffrecantrefuserefuse consentrefuse to admitrefuse to considerrefuse to payrefuterejectrelegaterenegerenouncerepelreprobaterepulserescindresist entreatyresist persuasionretractreverserevokesay naysay noscornscoutsend to coventryshove awayshut outspurnstand aloofstop paymentsupersedeswallowtabootaketake backtake issue withtergiversatethrowthrow awaythrow outturnturn awayturn downturn outunsayvacatevote nayvote negativelywaivewelshwithdraw
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: disown, renounce, disavow, abandon, abjure.
- Sentence evidence is available for repudiate, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wiktionary, wordnet, opengloss, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "repudiate".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "repudiate"
Keep "repudiate" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "repudiate" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "repudiate", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "repudiate" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
10 entriesMore specific
6 entriesCollocations
5 entriesallegation denialclaim denialcontract cancellationdebt repudiationtreaty repudiation
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
2 entriesTranslations
20 translations across 12 languages.
Arabic
1 entries- تَبَرَّأَ verb (to refuse to have anything to do with)
Bulgarian
1 entries- отричам се verb (to refuse to have anything to do with)
Finnish
2 entries- kieltäytyä olemasta missään tekemisissä verb (to refuse to have anything to do with)
- sanoutua irti verb (to refuse to have anything to do with)
German
4 entries- sich distanzieren verb (to refuse to have anything to do with)
- sich verweigern verb (to refuse to have anything to do with)
- verleugnen verb (to refuse to have anything to do with)
- verstoßen verb (to refuse to have anything to do with)
Greek
1 entries- απορρίπτω verb (to refuse to have anything to do with)
Hungarian
1 entries- tagad verb (to refuse to have anything to do with)
Latin
1 entries- repudiō verb (to refuse to have anything to do with)
Macedonian
2 entries- о́дбие verb (to refuse to have anything to do with)
- се о́ткаже verb (to refuse to have anything to do with)
Polish
2 entries- wyprzeć się verb (to refuse to have anything to do with)
- wyrzec się verb (to refuse to have anything to do with)
Russian
1 entries- отрека́ться verb (to refuse to have anything to do with)
Spanish
2 entries- desconocer verb (to refuse to have anything to do with)
- repudiar verb (to refuse to have anything to do with)
Turkish
1 entries- inkâr etmek verb (to refuse to have anything to do with)
Sample sentences
10 total sentences available.
Like Christianity and Judaism, Islam is a so-called Abrahamic religion. Muslims, as Islamic people are called, repudiate Christianity's Trinity which alludes to polytheism. Islam is strictly monotheistic as they believe that there is only One God, Allāh. Their sacred writings are in the Qur'an, divided into 114 suras, containing 6236 āyāt, verses. Muslims believe that the Qur'an is only perfect in the original Arabic because any translation would be deficient. Their main prophet is Muhammad, the messenger. Muslim eschatology includes bodily resurrection at the Day of Resurrection, Yawm al-Qiyāmah, when everyone will be judged for good or bad deeds. Trials and tribulation precede and coincide with al-Qiyāmah, the time of which no human knows. (I read somewhere too that in Islam, being in hell may be an impermanent condition.) Like other Abrahamicists, Muslims believe in angels. Muslims believe in predestination or divine preordainment. Muslims must pray 5 times during the day. The prayer rituals are called Ṣalāh. Like other religions, Islam has subdivisions, as the Sunni and Shia, the contention being the successor, Abu Bakr or Ali respectively, to Muhammad. (The Islamic religion's progression and overall ambiance are depicted in Frank Herbert's Dune series, which is set thousands of years from now in outer space. There is a desert planet called Arrakis.)
Source: tatoeba (10735386)
This is a nation that honors our Constitution. We do not reject it. This is a nation that believes in the rule of law. We do not repudiate it. This is a nation that respects free and fair elections. We honor the will of the people. We do not deny it. And this is a nation that rejects violence as a political tool. We do not encourage violence. We are still an America that believes in honesty and decency and respect for others, patriotism, liberty, justice for all, hope, possibilities. We are still, at our core, a democracy.
Source: tatoeba (11097484)
The fierce willingness to repudiate domination in a holistic manner is the starting point for progressive cultural revolution.
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 10 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "repudiate"?
Closest matches include disown, renounce, disavow, abandon, abjure.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "repudiate"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.