DISOWNING Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

disowning

verb

present participle of disown

as in denying

to declare not to be true he steadfastly disowned that he was having an affair

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as in refusing

to refuse to acknowledge as one's own or as one's responsibility the dictatorial father angrily disowned his rebellious son

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of disowning Hong Kong's stablecoin licensing further illustrates this, approving only HKD tokens while publicly disowning any CNH stablecoin claims. — Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 The platforms that helped usher in the generative AI boom are now trying to clean up the mess without disowning the technology behind it. — Angela Yang, NBC news, 8 Aug. 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 The pastor approaches the line without fully disenchanting; a magician drawing attention to the trick without disowning its power. — Sam Kestenbaum, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2026 Emails published on the Mail on Sunday revealed Ferguson apologized to Epstein weeks after publicly disowning him, back in 2011. — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 30 Nov. 2025 Extended family members of White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller are disowning him, according to his cousin. — Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025 Maximum Overdrive, the only movie that King directed, is eligible… but King himself joined the chorus of harsh critics, disowning it and never again returning to the director’s chair . — James Grebey, Time, 12 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for disowning

Verb

The film follows a daughter trying to accompany her mother through her final stage, navigating the challenge of remaining close without denying the loss or imposing a particular way of experiencing it.

— Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
Ridley Scott’s representatives are denying the recent report that the director blamed his Gladiator II star Paul Mescal for the film’s underwhelming box office numbers.

— Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of denying

Verb

Biscayne 21’s declaration — the document that establishes the condominium — required a unanimous vote to terminate the building’s condo association, a goal that seemed unlikely with a group of residents refusing to sell.

— Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026
Court records show Romo was cited for refusing to take a test for intoxication and first offense OWI.

— Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of refusing

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disowned

disowning

disownment

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“Disowning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disowning. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of disowning

verb

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