unswear

He had to unswear his earlier oath in front of the council.

Definition

1. Verb (transitive):
   • To retract or recant something sworn: "unswear" means to formally take back a statement, promise, or oath that was previously sworn. It implies an action of reversing a solemn declaration.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • He had sworn to tell the truth, but later he tried to unswear his testimony. (He attempted to retract the oath he had taken.)
  • The politician was forced to unswear his earlier pledge after discovering new evidence. (He formally withdrew his sworn promise.)

Advanced Usage

• "to unswear an oath": to formally revoke a sworn statement.
  • The witness could not unswear the oath once the trial began. (The oath could not be undone after proceedings started.)

Variants and Related Words

• Unsworn (adj): not bound by an oath; not formally sworn.

  • The unsworn statement was considered less reliable in court. (A statement made without a formal oath.)

• Swear (v): the base verb meaning to make a solemn promise or declaration.

  • She swore to uphold the law. (She made a solemn promise.)

Synonyms

• Recant: to withdraw or renounce a statement or belief formally.

  • He recanted his false confession. (He took back his earlier admission.)

• Retract: to pull back or take back something said.

  • The newspaper had to retract its erroneous story. (They withdrew the incorrect report.)

Antonyms

• Swear: to make a solemn promise or statement.
  • She swore to tell the truth. (She made a binding declaration.)

Phrasal Verbs

• (This word does not commonly form phrasal verbs in modern usage.)

Related Idioms

• (No common idioms directly associated with "unswear".)