disavowing
Denying any connection
Disavowing is denying connection to, responsibility for, or approval of something: The senator spent the morning disavowing his earlier remarks.
It implies formal or emphatic rejection—stronger than simply disagreeing.
Organizations disavow rogue members; politicians disavow controversial supporters; people disavow statements they now regret.
Formally refusing to acknowledge
- renouncingFormally abandoning a claim
- spurningContemptuously refusing or dismissing
- shunningDeliberately avoiding someone
- refusingDeclining to accept
declining · rebuffing · dismissing · casting off · turning away · disowning · disapproving · ostracizing
Leaving permanently behind
- forsakingRenouncing or abandoning completely
- abjuringFormally renouncing a belief
- forswearingFormally rejecting or abandoning
- renouncingFormally abandoning a claim
deserting · apostasy · defection · betrayal · disloyalty · recantation · backsliding · treachery
Refusal to accept reality
- negationDenial or cancellation
- contradictionOpposing claims, incompatible together
- refutationDisproving a statement
- disputationFormal argumentative exchange
disclaiming · rebuffing · challenge · disbelief · skepticism · doubt · dissent · debunking
Formally withdrawing a statement
- withdrawingRemoving or pulling away
- revokingOfficially canceling authorization
- rescindingFormally canceling or withdrawing
- reversingGoing in opposite direction
backtracking · nullifying · annulling · invalidating · abolishing · undoing · taking back · walking back
repudiating
Formally refusing to acknowledge
- renouncingFormally abandoning a claim
- spurningContemptuously refusing or dismissing
- shunningDeliberately avoiding someone
refusing · declining · rebuffing · dismissing · casting off · turning away · disowning · disapproving · ostracizing · excommunicating
abandoning
Leaving permanently behind
- forsakingRenouncing or abandoning completely
- abjuringFormally renouncing a belief
- forswearingFormally rejecting or abandoning
renouncing · deserting · apostasy · defection · betrayal · disloyalty · recantation · backsliding · treachery · unfaithfulness
denial
Refusal to accept reality
- negationDenial or cancellation
- contradictionOpposing claims, incompatible together
- refutationDisproving a statement
disputation · disclaiming · rebuffing · challenge · disbelief · skepticism · doubt · dissent · debunking · discrediting
recanting
Formally withdrawing a statement
- withdrawingRemoving or pulling away
- revokingOfficially canceling authorization
- rescindingFormally canceling or withdrawing
reversing · backtracking · nullifying · annulling · invalidating · abolishing · undoing · taking back · walking back · backing down
- repudiatingrenouncing, disclaiming, rejecting, disowning, denying
disavowingacknowledging
Accepting as true
admitting · avowing · owning · confessing · conceding
disavowingendorsing
Publicly declaring approval
embracing · supporting · championing · affirming · upholding
disavowingclaiming
Declaring to be true
professing · taking credit for · asserting · declaring · proclaiming
vow, avow, disavow, vowed, avowal, vowing, avowed, disavowal, disavowed