To renege (pronounced rih-NEG or rih-NEEG) means to break a promise or back out of an agreement you made. When someone reneges on a deal, they're going back on their word after others have counted on them to follow through.

Imagine your friend promises to help you build a science fair project on Saturday, but Friday night they text saying they'd rather go to the movies instead. They've reneged on their promise. Or picture a business owner who agrees to pay a contractor $500 for painting a fence, but after the work is done, refuses to pay. That's reneging on a deal.

The word carries a sense of disappointment and broken trust. It's not about changing plans for a good reason, like a family emergency. It's about abandoning a commitment because you just don't feel like keeping it anymore, or because something better came along.

In card games like Hearts or Spades, reneging has a specific meaning: failing to follow suit when you actually have a card of that suit in your hand. It's considered a serious mistake (or deliberate cheating) because it breaks the fundamental rules of the game.