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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I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
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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:
If it doesn’t, the seller might renege, leaving the buyer scrambling.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
“If they renege on their promises,” he added, “they will face dire consequences.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2026
One said that it was wrong to "renege on promises" by making people who "uprooted their lives to come here" to wait longer for permanent residency.
From BBC ● Mar. 19, 2026
But regulators say some companies renege on their commitments.
From Barron's ● Jan. 29, 2026
The government had already informed the foreign press that I was to be set free tomorrow and felt they could not renege on that statement.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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
The rule book does not differentiate between deliberate and accidental reneges.
From Competition by James Causey
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
In February 2024, he sued OpenAI and its boss Sam Altman, saying the firm he helped found had reneged on its non-profit, open source origins by hitching its wagon to Microsoft.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 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
Instead, the Ravens reneged after reportedly having concerns about Crosby’s physical exam following knee surgery earlier this year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026
“I mean, that miller’s daughter cheated him. He did all that spinning for her and she said she’d give him her baby and then she reneged on their deal. Maybe she’s the villain here.”
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
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
Then again, any promise made by the U.S. or Venezuela is “subject to reneging by subsequent administrations.”
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 7, 2026
The piece reported that the Hermès heir was being sued in Washington, D.C., for allegedly reneging on the deal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2025
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
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.
