Synonym Chooser

How does the verb invalidate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of invalidate are abrogate, annul, negate, and nullify. While all these words mean "to deprive of effective or continued existence," invalidate implies making something powerless or unacceptable by declaration of its logical or moral or legal unsoundness.

the court invalidated the statute

How are the words abrogate and annul related as synonyms of invalidate?

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

a law to abrogate trading privileges

When is annul a more appropriate choice than invalidate?

The meanings of annul and invalidate largely overlap; however, annul suggests making ineffective or nonexistent often by legal or official action.

the treaty annuls all previous agreements

When could negate be used to replace invalidate?

Although the words negate and invalidate have much in common, negate implies the destruction or canceling out of each of two things by the other.

the arguments negate each other

When can nullify be used instead of invalidate?

While the synonyms nullify and invalidate are close in meaning, 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 invalidate The move was a win for the Republican candidate in the race, Appeals Court Judge Jefferson Griffin, who is seeking to invalidate tens of thousands of ballots in an effort to unseat his opponent, Democratic incumbent Justice Allison Riggs. Lucille Sherman, Axios, 7 Apr. 2025 The measure, also called SAPA, purported to invalidate federal gun laws, including those covering weapons registration and tracking, and possession of firearms by some domestic violence offenders. Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 2025 That attempt to invalidate TABOR ended in 2021, after a decade-long legal fight. Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 1 Apr. 2025 Under these new rules the NCAA will remove scholarship limits and replace them with roster limits, vet and potentially invalidate any NIL deal worth over $600, and, most notably, allow schools to directly pay its athletes up to $20.5 million total annually. Joe Sabin, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for invalidate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for invalidate
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
  • 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 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
  • Still to be determined is Vessel’s plan in Glastonbury; the town rejected it, and Vessel won a Superior Court lawsuit to overturn that decision.
    Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 23 Apr. 2025
  • The case had long been viewed by Palin and other conservatives as a possible vehicle to overturn the 1964 U.S. Supreme Court landmark New York Times v. Sullivan.
    Luc Cohen, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Moments later, another LAFC goal was nullified by an offside call.
    Anne M. Peterson, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2025
  • But surely, this quid pro quo defies all legal paths to citizenship: a truth that, in this climate, would nullify the rights of many Jewish, Italian, Irish, and other families living in our city today.
    Mark Treyger, New York Daily News, 19 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Get to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building and avoid windows.
    STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2025
  • Houston threw numbers behind the ball for most of the game to avoid getting hit by the deadly counterattacks and transitions KC has been known for.
    Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 20 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Invalidate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/invalidate. Accessed 26 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on invalidate

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