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
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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:
Creditor lobbyists complain that debtors use bankruptcy to renege on their obligations, while consumer groups blame exploitative lending practices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 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
After a pre-premiere bidding war results in a $75-million sale, “Medellin” debuts to a round of boos, leading shady businessman Yair Marx to renege on the deal.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 11, 2026
Watson claims the PGA Tour has "made a decision to renege" on what they promised to those who stayed loyal.
From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2026
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
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
If Musk reneges on his pledge, expect to see former workers taking him to court.
From New York Times ● Oct. 28, 2022
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 countries in transition lack both: liquidity necessary to keep one's monetary word and the legal system to force him to do so if he reneges.
From After the Rain : how the West lost the East by Samuel Vaknin
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
Ford’s lawyers said the children reneged, proposing new terms that were less valuable and would leave Ford with less stock.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 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
What if, after he told her, she reneged on their deal?
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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
Chelsea paid a £5m penalty to United for reneging on an obligation to sign the England attacker.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2025
On Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom also spoke out against the president for reneging on a promise.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 3, 2024
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.
