unsay

verb

ˌən-ˈsā How to pronounce unsay (audio)
Definition of unsaynext
as in to retract
to solemnly or formally reject or go back on (as something formerly adhered to) the witness tried to unsay the very testimony that he had given a few days earlier

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 unsay And what stands out is what is unsaid, the life stories of the people who were owned by our president, who worked those plantations, who served these presidents. — Tonya Mosley, NPR, 5 May 2026 In fact, there is little that Obama has left unsaid about Trump in the past fifteen years. — Peter Slevin, New Yorker, 4 May 2026 Now, there is no way to unsay it. — Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026 Left unsaid was that the former group, which included Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings, could be unpredictable and a challenge to coaches and teammates alike. — Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unsay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsay
  1. retract
  2. renounce
  3. withdraw
  4. deny
  5. contradict
Verb
  • The study was found to be fraudulent; eventually, it was retracted entirely.
    — Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • So far, no cinema chains have seemingly gone along with the boycott (NewsCord falsely reported one was going to ban the film, then retracted the claim).
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of retract
Verb
  • Know More Andrews wants the party to embrace term limits and renounce congressional stock trading and corporate contributions.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Eric Lai, a senior fellow with the Georgetown Center for Asian Law, said every actor in Hong Kong civil society who assumed that renouncing violence and working within the law would be fine has to revise that assumption.
    — Kanis Leung, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of renounce
Verb
  • When combined with a hot blanket of the humidity the city has endured throughout the summer, players could be forced to withdraw from their matches or push through, risking injury.
    — Aaron Short, Curbed, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Although the proposal will remain on Thursday’s agenda because of the 72-hour posting requirement, Kayatta said it will effectively be withdrawn during the meeting with authorization from Board President Tara Jeane.
    — Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of withdraw
Verb
  • Anderson, who long had been considered a suspect in Shakur’s killing, denied involvement before his death in an unrelated Compton shooting in 1998 at age 23.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Edwards has denied the allegations, but ended his reelection bid after the House Ethics Committee posted their investigative findings last month.
    — Claudia Grisales, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of deny
Verb
  • Footage from the cameras worn by CBP officers involved in the death of 37-year-old Alex Pretti contradicted the administration's initial narrative of his death, and renewed calls for broader use of the cameras.
    — Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026
  • If executives contradict each other about how emotional data should influence decisions, your teams will likely default to ignoring the system.
    — Dr. Nore Salman, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of contradict

Browse Nearby Words

unsavory
unsay
unsayable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

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