negate

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as in to discredit
to think not to be true or real you simply can't negate your feelings for someone, even if they don't feel the same way about you

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb negate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of negate are abrogate, annul, invalidate, and nullify. While all these words mean "to deprive of effective or continued existence," negate implies the destruction or canceling out of each of two things by the other.

the arguments negate each other

How do abrogate and annul relate to one another, in the sense of negate?

Abrogate is like annul but more definitely implies a legal or official act.

a law to abrogate trading privileges

When is it sensible to use annul instead of negate?

The words annul and negate can be used in similar contexts, but annul suggests making ineffective or nonexistent often by legal or official action.

the treaty annuls all previous agreements

When could invalidate be used to replace negate?

The synonyms invalidate and negate are sometimes interchangeable, but invalidate implies making something powerless or unacceptable by declaration of its logical or moral or legal unsoundness.

the court invalidated the statute

When might nullify be a better fit than negate?

In some situations, the words nullify and negate are roughly equivalent. However, nullify implies counteracting completely the force, effectiveness, or value of something.

a penalty nullified the touchdown

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 negate The Mountain West also planned to make its case in court to dismiss the Pac-12’s lawsuit seeking to negate $55 million owed in poaching fees. Chris Vannini, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025 The numbers are part of a broader shift that saw pedestrian deaths decline statewide, but city officials say that doesn't negate the need for continued investment in safer policies and infrastructure. Christine Clarridge, Axios, 19 Mar. 2025 But, in the future, proponents say the technology may negate the need for heart transplants entirely. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Mar. 2025 These are immune to jamming, and negated Ukraine’s advantage in electronic warfare. David Hambling, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for negate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for negate
Verb
  • An immigration judge denied her bond request Wednesday, citing her as a flight risk and danger to the community.
    Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Citing information from an informant who officials have said is credible, the Department of Homeland Security has alleged that Abrego Garcia is a member of the MS-13 gang, a claim his family and attorneys deny.
    Faris Tanyos, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • France belatedly abolished slavery in 1848 in its remaining colonies of Martinique, Guadeloupe, Réunion and French Guyana, which are still territories of France today.
    Marlene L. Daut, The Conversation, 16 Apr. 2025
  • The Legislature eliminated parole for nearly everyone imprisoned for crimes committed after Aug. 1, making Louisiana the 17th state in a half-century to abolish parole altogether and the first in 24 years to do so.
    Richard A. Webster, ProPublica, 10 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • His tariffs were not based on the import taxes charged by other countries but by the size of each trade deficit, a calculation that instantly discredited the policy with many economists and investors.
    Time, Time, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Bolsonaro’s efforts to discredit the election had already found allies abroad.
    Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Trump’s own Social Security chief eventually refuted the claim.
    Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2025
  • His lawyers refute the charges and argue no crimes have been committed that violate his visa.
    Anna Spiegel, Axios, 21 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The program also receives about 5% of its revenue from interest generated by its trust funds and about 4% of its revenue from the tax that Trump wants to repeal.
    Dennis W. Jansen, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2025
  • President Donald Trump this week issued a sweeping directive ordering federal agencies to repeal regulations that conflict with recent Supreme Court rulings.
    Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 13 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The best way to avoid the tariffs, Trump has told businesses, is to make goods inside the U.S. EU officials had suggested sector-specific zero-for-zero tariffs with the U.S., such as in industrial goods and autos, but Trump rejected the idea.
    Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Superior Court Judge Craig Collins from neighboring Gaston county also rejected it after Tench’s friends and family — his mother, sister and aunts — submitted and read aloud letters underlining the effect Tench’s disappearance and apparent death have had.
    Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The government last month canceled $400 million in funding for Columbia and threatened to withhold billions more, accusing the university in New York of not doing enough to combat antisemitism and to ensure student safety amid last year's Gaza encampment campus protests.
    Zac Anderson, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
  • The Titans recently cancelled pre-draft workouts with Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, all but guaranteeing that Ward is the pick here.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • In another legend, the monk was said to have cut off his eyelids to avoid falling asleep during his meditation, one explanation for the doll’s wide-eyed stare.
    Rebecca Cairns, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Facing the Marlins for the second time in a week, the Mets (7-3) avoided facing ace Sandy Alcantara, with the 2022 Cy Young Award winner having been added to the paternity list earlier in the day.
    Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Negate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/negate. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.

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