renege
[ri-nig, -neg, -neeg]
- 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.
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- Archaic. to deny; disown; renounce.
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- Cards. an act or instance of reneging.
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Origin of renege
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for renege
Contemporary Examples
Dubowitz, however, says he is concerned Moscow could renege on its promise not to sell Iran the S-300.
Will Syria collapse or Egypt renege on the Camp David Accords?
Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger convinced Reagan to renege on his support for these cuts, so they never happened.
Reagan’s Deal With Democrats for Tax Increases Paired With Spending Cuts Is a MythJohn M. Barry
December 5, 2012
Historical Examples
I treated them two or three times and never once did they renege.
It occurred to him that he could agree now to join forces with Charles, then go back to Gobignon and renege on his promise.
The Saracen: The Holy WarRobert Shea
"You've never seen the day when you wanted to renege, Upton, and you know it," he hit back.
The WreckersFrancis Lynde
renege
renegue
- (intr often foll by on) to go back (on one's promise, etc)
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- cards other words for revoke
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Word Origin
C16 (in the sense: to deny, renounce): from Medieval Latin renegāre to renounce; see renegade
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for renege
v.
1540s, "deny, renounce, abandon," from Medieval Latin renegare, from Latin re-, here probably an intensive prefix, + negare "deny" (see deny). Meaning "change one's mind" is from 1784. Related: Reneged; reneging.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper