1
as in to deny
to declare not to be true
he steadfastly disowned that he was having an affair
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to refuse
to refuse to acknowledge as one's own or as one's responsibility
the dictatorial father angrily disowned his rebellious son
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of disown
When Mary won’t give up the baby, she’s disowned by patriarch Whitelaw (Ed Harris) and exiled to New Jersey from her family’s palatial Long Island estate.
—
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
Becket is broke, disowned and circling a family fortune that never wanted him.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 18 Feb. 2026
They may be cut off from financial resources, disowned, or stripped of personal property and communal safety nets.
—Literary Hub, 18 Feb. 2026
In September 2025, it was revealed that Ferguson sent an email to Epstein apologizing for publicly disowning him in a March 2011 interview with the Evening Standard.
—Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disown
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
Becket is broke, disowned and circling a family fortune that never wanted him.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 18 Feb. 2026
They may be cut off from financial resources, disowned, or stripped of personal property and communal safety nets.
—Literary Hub, 18 Feb. 2026
In September 2025, it was revealed that Ferguson sent an email to Epstein apologizing for publicly disowning him in a March 2011 interview with the Evening Standard.
—Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disown
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disown
Verb
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Officials said that after Cooper’s arrest, the first victim, a runaway, was crying hysterically and denied any involvement in prostitution.—
Samantha Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
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Agresta denied news reports about the sloths dying from the cold, instead pinning the cause on viral infections, Inside Climate News said.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 May 2026
Verb
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But when the symptoms refused to fade, an MRI revealed something far worse.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
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Others rely on patience, research, and the fact that the ground itself refuses to be reduced to one easy headline.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The court rejected the argument, concluding that a prospective rate hearing — unlike that on the response time — would be considered contested and the utility would have the opportunity to challenge the finding of imprudence then.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
29 Apr. 2026
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The legislation passed with broad bipartisan support in the Senate, but some Republicans rejected the bill, opposing earmarking millions more to maintain the fortified Capitol and equip it with the staff necessary to keep the screenings going.—
Caroline Cummings,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Trump refuted those accusations in a heated interview with 60 Minutes host Norah O’Donnell on Sunday.—
Mabinty Quarshie,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Apr. 2026
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Pavlovski refuted a claim made by a witness on Monday that McGee and Jenkins had struggled over the gun that was used to shoot Jenkins.—
Shelley Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disown.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disown. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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