renege
Americanverb (used without object)
-
reneges,
present (3rd person singular)
-
reneged,
past participle, past
-
reneging
present participle
-
Cards. to play a card that is not of the suit led when one can follow suit; break a rule of play.
-
to go back on one's word.
He has reneged on his promise.
verb (used with object)
-
reneges,
present (3rd person singular)
-
reneged,
past participle, past
-
reneging
present participle
noun
verb
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
renegesimple
-
renegessimple
-
have renegedperfect
-
has renegedperfect
-
am renegingprogressive
-
are renegingprogressive
-
is renegingprogressive
-
have been renegingperfect progressive
-
has been renegingperfect progressive
Past
-
renegedsimple
-
had renegedperfect
-
was renegingprogressive
-
were renegingprogressive
-
had been renegingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of renege
1540–50; earlier renegue < Medieval Latin renegāre, equivalent to re- re- + negāre to deny ( cf. negative)
Explanation
To renege is to go back on your word or fail to keep a promise. Not quite lying, reneging is more a sin of omission — failing to do what you said you would. The Latin negāre means "to deny," so by reneging on your word, you are denying someone whatever you promised them. In card games, you are said to renege if you play against the rules. To renege may be wrong, but it's not necessarily a punishable offense (unless you put that promise legally binding in writing). Still, it certainly doesn't make you look good!
Vocabulary lists containing renege
Spinnin' Around
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Beowulf
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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:
He went on to renege on that promise and stood in December's election - which he won with a landslide.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
To reach a compromise with member states, parliament is under pressure to renege on several amendments it added to the text in March which the Americans consider unacceptable.
From Barron's ● May 19, 2026
“If they renege on their promises,” he added, “they will face dire consequences.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2026
Now she can renege on a promise to air a revised version on CBS.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 26, 2025
As he walked, he decided without much consideration that he would renege on his commitment to let himself forget that this would be his last back-to-school dinner.
From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner
This wish is granted, but Salieri reneges on his end of the deal after losing faith in the Almighty.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 18, 2026
Australia will now be known as "a place that reneges on a global sports contract", leaving its reputation "in tatters" he added.
From BBC ● Dec. 3, 2023
However, if a company that signed on reneges on its vow, it would face grave consequences in the court of public opinion, said Cueni.
From Reuters ● Jul. 19, 2022
He also agrees to things and then reneges, and when confronted about it, he spins stories.
From Slate ● Oct. 13, 2021
“His captain's heart Which in the scuffles of great fights hath burst The buckles on his breast, reneges all temper.”
From Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, Beaumont and Fletcher by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
However, SpaceX’s capacity to fund that capital spending largely relies on compute deals with firms like Anthropic and Google that can be reneged on with a few months’ notice, according to regulatory filings.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026
Being considered is Musk's claim that Altman - with whom he founded OpenAI - has swindled him out of millions of dollars and reneged on the ChatGPT-maker's original non-profit mission.
From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2026
Cipriani said Shell reneged on a purported promise to make “Star Serenade,” an English-language version of a Spanish-language music reality series Cipriani and his wife created that airs on the Roku Channel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026
Cipriani filed a lawsuit against Jeff Shell alleging fraud and other counts, saying Shell reneged on an oral agreement to develop an English-language version of a Spanish music show.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2026
What if, after he told her, she reneged on their deal?
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
You believe she is reneging on her duties to her sibling, and wonder why she doesn’t do more.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
And it would stop Washington later reneging on the promise.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026
Prosecutors responded to Puig reneging on the plea agreement by charging him with one count of obstruction of justice and two counts of making false statements to federal officials.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 21, 2026
The government vote had been expected on Thursday, but the meeting was delayed after Netanyahu accused Hamas of reneging on parts of the deal - an allegation Hamas denied.
From BBC ● Jan. 17, 2025
What’s to keep the rebels from reneging on the deal?
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
