as in to retract
to solemnly or formally reject or go back on (as something formerly adhered to)
the Inquisition forced Galileo to recant his support of the Copernican observation that the earth revolves around the sun
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Recent Examples of recant
The woman later recanted her allegations, and Mills firmly denied there was a physical altercation.
—
Emily Brooks, The Hill, 19 Nov. 2025
DeSalvo recanted his confession before he was stabbed to death in a maximum-security prison, according to the outlet.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 15 Nov. 2025
Some accusers changed their minds and recanted.
—Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Such actions often prompted people to be pressured to recant their beliefs or face blacklisting.
—David Folkenflik, NPR, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for recant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recant
Verb
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De Blasio responded with shock, demanding The Times retract the story.—
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The Democrat has since faced calls from Republicans to drop out of the state attorney general race, though many Democrats and his corporate donors have not retracted their support.—
Verb
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Margaret’s father succeeded him as King George VI, and her mother Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, never forgave the duke for renouncing his duty to his country.—
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Ukraine withdrawing from all of the Donbas, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, and Kyiv officially renouncing its aim to join NATO.—
Verb
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Former North Crowley standout Ka’Morreun Pimpton also withdrew his name from the portal Sunday.—
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The United Arab Emirates (UAE) withdrew its troops last week following a deadline from Saudi Arabia.—
Cite this Entry
“Recant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recant. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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