rescind
To officially cancel or take back a rule or decision.
To rescind something means to officially cancel or take back a decision, offer, rule, or agreement. When a school rescinds a policy, that policy no longer exists. When a company rescinds a job offer, they're telling someone the offer is no longer valid.
Rescinding is a formal and official action used for important decisions and policies. A government might rescind an old law that no longer makes sense, or a college might rescind an acceptance if they discover a student lied on their application. You would use rescind for serious matters like contracts, policies, or official offers, rather than everyday choices.
The word often appears when something previously granted gets taken away. A coach might rescind a player's spot on the team for breaking team rules. A library might rescind someone's borrowing privileges for repeatedly returning books late.
Notice that rescinding is different from amending or modifying. When you rescind something, you're completely canceling it, not just adjusting it. It's the difference between erasing a rule entirely versus rewriting it with new terms.