revoke
Americanverb (used with object)
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revokes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
revoked,
past participle, past
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revoking
present participle
-
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)
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revokes,
present (3rd person singular)
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revoked,
past participle, past
-
revoking
present participle
noun
verb
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(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
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has revokedperfect
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am revokingprogressive
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are revokingprogressive
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is revokingprogressive
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have been revokingperfect progressive
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has been revokingperfect progressive
Past
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revokedsimple
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had revokedperfect
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was revokingprogressive
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were revokingprogressive
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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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Tears of a Tiger
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100 SAT words Beginning with "R"
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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:
I urged the letter writer, whose parents were the victims, to petition the court to revoke her aunt’s POA.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026
The day before, Hahn sent a letter asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to suspend or revoke the permit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
Authorities have cited the Lyft incident in court filings asking a judge to revoke Harvey’s bail.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
If the government applies to revoke the adoption orders, the court could consider several factors, said Lim Fung Peen, a consultant with Yuen Law.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
My violation of this provision gave them no choice but to revoke the award.
From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson
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
President Joe Biden also Monday signed an executive order that terminates Zimbabwe’s national emergency and revokes Zimbabwe-specific sanctions.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 4, 2024
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
"Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others," it said in a statement.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
State Department revoked Torres’ visa in May 2025.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
“Any officers who violate those standards are held accountable through investigations that may culminate in their peace officer status being suspended or revoked entirely.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Later on Saturday morning, Politico said its reporter Cheyenne Haslett was denied entry and Secret Service revoked her pass.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
Mother tried to get Father to leave sooner, but he was holding out hope that the edict of expulsion might be revoked.
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
Then, on Sept. 23, he and Valladares were told that the city was revoking access to the baseball fields for both the league and the academy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
The U.S. has also been revoking the visas and residency cards of Havana insiders and their family members.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
The work of VroniPlag Wiki alone has led to several German universities revoking doctoral degrees they had awarded to elected and appointed government officials.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026
Treasury Department said it was revoking, effective immediately, the license it had granted on June 21 to allow the sale of Iranian oil.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 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.
