Synonyms of nullify

nullify

verb

ˈnə-lə-ˌfī 

as in to abolish

to put an end to by formal action

the constitutional amendment that nullified Prohibition

Synonyms & Similar Words

• abolish
• repeal
• cancel
• overturn
• invalidate
• avoid
• negate
• annul
• abrogate
• void
• rescind
• vacate
• quash
• dissolve
• dismiss
• revoke
• withdraw
• suspend
• set aside
• null
• strike down
• roll back
• abate
• reverse
• reject
• veto
• disannul
• eliminate
• overrule
• retract
• override
• remove
• do away with
• forbid
• prohibit
• recall
• ban
• erase
• countermand
• abort
• enjoin
• disallow
• eradicate
• outlaw
• annihilate
• call off
• call
• liquidate
• drop
• write off
• throw out
• break down

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• enact
• establish
• found
• legislate
• lay down
• legitimate
• validate
• institute
• pass
• permit
• approve
• ratify
• allow
• authorize
• legitimize
• warrant
• legalize
• endorse
• order
• prescribe
• formalize
• clear
• sanction
• command
• mandate
• decree

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb nullify differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of nullify are abrogate, annul, invalidate, and negate. While all these words mean "to deprive of effective or continued existence," nullify implies counteracting completely the force, effectiveness, or value of something.

a penalty nullified the touchdown

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

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

a law to abrogate trading privileges

When could annul be used to replace nullify?

The words annul and nullify are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, annul suggests making ineffective or nonexistent often by legal or official action.

the treaty annuls all previous agreements

Where would invalidate be a reasonable alternative to nullify?

While in some cases nearly identical to nullify, invalidate implies making something powerless or unacceptable by declaration of its logical or moral or legal unsoundness.

the court invalidated the statute

When is it sensible to use negate instead of nullify?

The synonyms negate and nullify are sometimes interchangeable, but negate implies the destruction or canceling out of each of two things by the other.

the arguments negate each other

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of nullify

Jiricek did score on the power play, but again, the offside review nullified it. — Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026

In the early 1990s, conservative groups sought to nullify such ordinances – including Focus on the Family, which had recently relocated its headquarters to Colorado Springs. — Mark Satta, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026

Woodward filed the department’s May 13 lawsuit seeking to nullify disciplinary proceedings against former DOJ official and Trump ally Jeffrey Clark. — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 29 Sep. 2026

The complaint, filed against the Hobart Plan Commission and the Hobart Common Council, seeks a preliminary injunction to nullify a fill permit allowing mass grading on the property, according to court documents. — Jim Masters, Chicago Tribune, 27 Sep. 2026