verb
disavow
dih-suh-VOW
verb
1
To formally deny responsibility for or support of something.
"The senator disavowed the extremist group's endorsement."
"He publicly disavowed the statements made in his name."
How to Use Disavow
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo publicly reject or deny that you support something, often to distance yourself from it.
Common pairings
publicly disavow
disavow responsibility
Word Forms
disavowed past tense, disavows singular
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The senator _____ the extremist group's endorsement.
Etymology
From dis- + avow, or from Old French desavouer.