The term DENY RESPONSIBILITY can be summarized by two crossword solutions: DISCLAIM and DISAVOW. DISCLAIM is an 8-letter word meaning to deny responsibility for something, while DISAVOW is a 7-letter word meaning to refuse to acknowledge or accept responsibility for something. Both words are used to express a lack of responsibility for something, but DISCLAIM is more often used in legal contexts, while DISAVOW is more often used in informal contexts.