revoke
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to take back or withdraw; annul, cancel, or reverse; rescind or repeal.
to revoke a decree.
- Synonyms:
- countermand, nullify, recall, retract
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to bring or summon back.
verb (used without object)
noun
verb
-
(tr) to take back or withdraw; cancel; rescind
to revoke a law
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(intr) cards to break a rule of play by failing to follow suit when able to do so; renege
noun
Usage
What does revoke mean? Revoke means to take back, withdraw, or cancel. Revoke is typically used in the context of officially taking back or cancelling some kind of right, status, or privilege that has already been given or approved. Passports and laws can be revoked, for example. The process or an instance of revoking is called revocation. A much more specific and less common sense of the word revoke is used in the context of card games, in which it means to break the rules by failing to follow suit when possible or required, such as in the game of bridge. Example: The principal threatened to revoke our senior privileges if there are any pranks.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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revokesimple
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revokessimple
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have revokedperfect
-
has revokedperfect
-
am revokingprogressive
-
are revokingprogressive
-
is revokingprogressive
-
have been revokingperfect progressive
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has been revokingperfect progressive
Past
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revokedsimple
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had revokedperfect
-
was revokingprogressive
-
were revokingprogressive
-
had been revokingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of revoke
1300–50; Middle English revoken < Latin revocāre to call again, equivalent to re- re- + vocāre to call
Explanation
When you revoke something, you officially cancel it, like when you revoke your sister's "coolest sibling" award because she shows your friends funny pictures of you from when you were little. The verb revoke comes from the Latin word revocare, meaning "to call back or rescind." Licenses, wills, and privileges are three things that can be revoked. The verb also has a meaning specific to card- playing. If the rules state that you have to follow suit, but you accidentally play trump instead, you have revoked or reneged. If other players notice your mistake, you have to take the card back.
Vocabulary lists containing revoke
Latin Love, Vol I: vocare
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Homeland Security then used that information to revoke Global Entry privileges in retaliation, the lawsuit alleges.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Revocable trusts allow the person who opens it to retain control during their lifetime and amend it, revoke it or move assets in and out of it, she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
In the second, the court let the administration revoke temporary legal protections that have let people from Haiti and Syria live and work in the U.S.
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026
When the bureau found discrepancies, it tended to settle for reprimands and improvement plans, rarely going so far as to revoke a dealer’s license.
From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2026
It could only be a horrible thing that would cause the Council to revoke a sage’s status.
From "Huntress" by Malinda Lo
After a user revokes an app’s access to their bank account, they have control over their paycheck again.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 12, 2026
It revokes an order from President Joe Biden in March 2022 that primarily addressed national security concerns related to digital assets.
From Salon ● Jan. 24, 2025
Kaplan revokes Bankman-Fried's bail after finding probable cause to believe he tampered with witnesses at least twice, including by sharing Ellison's private writings with a New York Times reporter.
From Reuters ● Oct. 3, 2023
They demand that he revokes the land deal.
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2023
When Dr. Johansen learns of the publicity, he temporarily revokes Joey’s travel privileges.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Customs and Border Protection said “Global Entry or other CBP Trusted Traveler Program memberships are not revoked because someone exercises their First Amendment rights.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
That designation was later withdrawn or revoked by BioDiem, an Australian biotech that had planned to test epitalon for retinitis pigmentosa, a condition that affects at least 80,000 people in the U.S.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
United have not revoked any tickets so far and an appeals panel will make a final decision on each case before their Premier League season begins on 22 August.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
The proration is revoked and the remaining $16 million is accelerated onto his cap immediately.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
He pondered in the darkness, incredulous that a supposedly revoked passport had turned him into a prisoner.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
The government is restricted from revoking the status otherwise.
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026
In a statement revoking the award given by his predecessor, Nawrocki said that the move "is not directed against Ukrainian people" and that Poland would continue to support Ukraine.
From Barron's ● Jun. 20, 2026
At the same time Clark was damaging her image, her Fever bosses came under fire for trying to protect that image by revoking the credential of veteran Fever and Pacers beat reporter Scott Agness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026
A spokesperson for the event said they were aware the pair were unable to travel to the UK because of the Home Office revoking their visas.
From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026
South Korea’s safety rating was downgraded by the US Federal Aviation Administration, and Canadian officials informed Korean Air’s management that they were considering revoking the company’s overflight and landing privileges in Canadian airspace.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
