disavow

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 28, 2023 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>disavow</strong> &#149; \dis-uh-VOW\&nbsp; &#149; <em>verb</em><br /> <p><em>Disavow</em> is a formal word that is often used as a synonym for <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repudiate"><em>repudiate</em></a> meaning “to deny responsibility for.” A closely related second meaning is “to refuse to acknowledge or accept.”</p> <p>// In the face of intense public scrutiny, the college's president is now trying to <em>disavow</em> her previous statements about eliminating tenure.</p> <p>// Party leaders showed courage when they <em>disavowed</em> one of their most promising candidates following revelations of his past improprieties.</p> <p><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disavow">See the entry ></a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>“No need to panic, but the Billy Goat Tavern changed its hamburger bun. For most restaurants, this wouldn’t matter in the slightest. But few places in Chicago have changed less over the past 40 years than the Billy Goat Tavern. … Personally, the only thing that could make me <em>disavow</em> eating at the Billy Goat is if they got rid of the condiment bar. Along with no seasoning, the burgers always still come out unadorned, leaving you to load up on toppings however you see fit.” — Nick Kindelsperger, <em>The Chicago Tribune</em>, 10 Nov. 2022</p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p>When is a <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vow">vow</a> not a vow? When it has been disavowed, for one. Let’s say you make a solemn pledge to eat green vegetables every day of the week and twice on Sundays. If a few months down the <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cruciferous">cruciferous</a> road you decide such a diet is for the rabbits, you might disavow (that is, <a href="https