disavow

[ dis-uh-vou ]

/ ˌdɪs əˈvaʊ /

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See synonyms for: disavow / disavowing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to disclaim knowledge of, connection with, or responsibility for; disown; repudiate: He disavowed the remark that had been attributed to him.

OTHER WORDS FOR disavow

deny, reject, disclaim.

See synonyms for disavow on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of disavow

1350–1400; Middle English disavouen, desavouen<Anglo-French, Old French desavouer.See dis-¹, avow

OTHER WORDS FROM disavow

dis·a·vow·ed·ly, adverbdis·a·vow·er, noun

Words nearby disavow

disassortative mating, disaster, disaster area, disaster capitalism, disastrous, disavow, disavowal, disband, disbar, disbelief, disbelieve

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use disavow in a sentence

Then she won, and Republicans tried to put a good face on it — even falsely claiming she had disavowed QAnon and suggesting the country should move on.
The GOP’s Marjorie Taylor Greene problem is spinning out of control|Aaron Blake|January 27, 2021|Washington Post
We call on leaders from across the political spectrum, including the President of the United States, to disavow false and dangerous narratives, and encourage their supporters to do so as well.
Activists around the world react to Capitol siege|Michael K. Lavers|January 9, 2021|Washington Blade
Hailed on its launch in 2012 — not long after the Penguin algorithm update — as the search engine’s “best spam reporting tool yet”, disavow links allowed webmasters to instruct Google to ignore all links from certain domains.
Should you use Google’s updated Disavow Links tool?|Edward Coram James|January 6, 2021|Search Engine Watch
He disavowed the hateful messages attributed to him and said he plans to consult with attorneys about his firing and the social media account.
Prince William County sheriff fires deputy for ‘disturbing comments’ on social media|Antonio Olivo|December 27, 2020|Washington Post

By a healthy margin, they approved a measure eliminating the 30-foot coastal height limit in the Midway district – a specific change Faulconer himself disavowed in a 2013 interview with Voice of San Diego.
Faulconer ‘Changed the Dialogue’ on Housing, But Results Remain Elusive|Andrew Keatts|December 10, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Nor will the CIA disavow those controversial efforts entirely.
CIA Won’t Defend Its One-Time Torturers|Shane Harris, Tim Mak|December 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To disavow those moral responsibilities, our tradition suggests, is to not be truly free.
Obama to Israelis: ‘The World Can Change’|Peter Beinart|March 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Rather than today's young women feeling like the heirs to a glorious legacy, they disavow those who came before.
‘The Feminine Mystique’ at 50, Part 2: Three Feminists on What It Means Today|Jessica Bennett, Letty Cottin Pogrebin, Alisa Solomon|February 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST
I can completely relate to his struggle of not wanting to disavow his Jewish identity for the sake of his gay identity.
Prop 8’s Aftermath: With Gay Rights, Religion Still Lags|Sir Ari Gold|February 8, 2012|DAILY BEAST
There are some pieces of themselves that politicians simply cannot disavow.
Newt Gingrich Targets Romney, Returns to Cage-Fighting Roots|Michelle Cottle|January 5, 2012|DAILY BEAST
I wish to disavow any compliment I may have appeared to pay that company in my telegram, for I think they did their bare duty.
The Relief of Mafeking|Filson Young
I do not altogether disavow the title, but I understand it to mean "inquirer."
Mystic London:|Charles Maurice Davies
The Prime Minister would never have had the courage to disavow his colleague openly.
The conquest of Rome|Matilde Serao
Neither do they disavow what has come to them through immigration and does not originally belong to their own country.
We Philologists, Volume 8 (of 18)|Friedrich Nietzsche
Berkeley had been unwilling to disavow his loyalty to the Crown in 1652 and he was not prepared to do so now.
Virginia Under Charles I And Cromwell, 1625-1660|Wilcomb E. Washburn

British Dictionary definitions for disavow

disavow

/ (ˌdɪsəˈvaʊ) /

verb

(tr) to deny knowledge of, connection with, or responsibility for

Derived forms of disavow

disavowal, noundisavowedly, adverbdisavower, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

disavow

OTHER WORDS FOR disavow

Origin of disavow

OTHER WORDS FROM disavow

Words nearby disavow

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How to use disavow in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for disavow

Derived forms of disavow