# revoke

/ɹiˈvoʊk/ (US) · /ɹɪvˈəʊk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/revoke
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. to cancel officially

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to officially take back a right, a law, or a document like a driver's license.

For teachers: to officially cancel or invalidate a decree, decision, or privilege by withdrawing it.

- The government decided to revoke his passport after he was accused of a crime.
- The licensing board threatened to revoke the clinic's operating permit if the safety violations were not addressed immediately.

Usage: Commonly used with objects like 'license', 'permit', 'visa', or 'privilege'.

### 2. card games

verb · CEFR C2 · Technical

to fail to follow the rules of a card game by not playing a card from the same suit.

For teachers: to fail to follow suit in a trick-taking card game despite holding cards of that suit.

- He accidentally revoked during the bridge game, which cost his team the round.
- In competitive bridge, if a player is found to have revoked, the opposing team is typically awarded penalty tricks.

Usage: Used as an intransitive verb in the context of card games like bridge or whist.

### 3. a rule violation in cards

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

an instance of breaking the rules in a card game by not following suit.

For teachers: an act of failing to follow suit in a card game when able to do so.

- The referee noted a revoke in the third hand of the tournament.
- A revoke is considered a serious procedural error that can invalidate the results of a specific round of play.

Usage: Countable noun used specifically within the terminology of trick-taking card games.

## Examples

- The city decided to revoke his driver's license.
- The committee had to revoke the athlete's medal after a positive drug test revealed a violation of the rules.
- The government may revoke a citizen's passport if there is sufficient evidence that they intend to flee the country to avoid criminal prosecution.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.