recanted; recanting; recants
: to make an open confession of error
Synonyms
Examples of recant in a Sentence
Church officials asked the minister to recant.
Witnesses threatened to recant their testimony when the court released their names to the paper.
Recent Examples on the Web
When a prosecutor questioned Thompson about his relationship with the witness, Thompson first lied, denying the relationship, before recanting and confessing the next day, according to an internal discipline report.
—
Sergio Hernandez, ProPublica, 9 May 2024
Haddish and Spears denied this and less than a month later, the Jane Doe asked a judge to dismiss the case and released a statement recanting the accusation.
—Amy Kaufman, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for recant 
Sergio Hernandez, ProPublica, 9 May 2024
Haddish and Spears denied this and less than a month later, the Jane Doe asked a judge to dismiss the case and released a statement recanting the accusation.
—Amy Kaufman, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for recant
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'recant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Recant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recant. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Legal Definition
recant
transitive verb
re·cant
ri-ˈkant 
: to renounce or withdraw (prior statements or testimony)
surprised the prosecution by recanting statements made earlier to the police
: to renounce or withdraw prior statements or testimony
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