revoke

Cancel a privilege

To revoke is to officially cancel or withdraw something previously granted—a license, a privilege, a permission, an offer.

The word implies formal authority: governments revoke visas, courts revoke probation, boards revoke certifications.

His driver's license was revoked after the third offense.

In card games, to revoke is to fail to follow suit when able, a penalty-worthy mistake.

legal

rescind

Formally cancel or withdraw

annulDeclare legally void
nullifyMake of no effect
voidWithout legal effect

invalidate · repeal · abrogate · vacate · quash · countermand · overturn · cancel · abolish · negate

retraction

recant

Formally withdraw a statement

retractWithdraw something said
withdrawRemove or pull away
renounceFormally give up

disavow · abjure · forswear · backpedal · repudiate · reverse · disclaim · disown · unsay

termination

cancel

Revoke or terminate

endFinal portion or cessation
terminateBring to an end
discontinueTo stop doing

cease · halt · abort · stop · withdraw · suspend · dissolve · abandon · drop · nix

access

ban

Official restriction on something

forbidDeclare not allowed
denyRefuse to admit
restrictTo impose limits upon

block · bar · exclude · prohibit · suspend · terminate · disable · blacklist · lock-out · deactivate

authority

strip

Narrow elongated piece

disempowerRemove capacity to act
deposeRemove from authority
dethroneRemove from sovereignty

unseat · demote · discharge · dismiss · disqualify · remove · suspend · impeach · oust · excommunicate

Categories

binary statesyes, no, true, false, on
cancelcancel, annul, nullify, invalidate, repeal
game movesmove, dodge, play, pass, block
removalremove, elimination, delete, erasing, erase
reversalsreverse, undo, revert, overturn, flip
undoundo, undo button, backtrack, revert, reverse

Opposites

granting vs. withdrawing authority/permission

revokegrant

Bestow or award money

bestow · authorize · confer · give · issue

establishing vs. abolishing

revokeenact

Pass into law

establish · confirm · institute · introduce · adopt

continuation vs. termination

Keep in condition

keep · uphold · continue · sustain · preserve

Phrases

revoked licenseOfficially withdrawn driving authorization
license revocationFormal withdrawal of permission

Family

irrevocable, revoked, revocation, revoking, revokes, irrevocably, revokable

Familiarity: Top 50,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Abstract · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated G