as in rejection
an unwillingness to grant something asked for
his flat refusal of our reasonable request was rather startling
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Recent Examples of refusal
Legal action becomes more likely Not all creditors pursue lawsuits over unpaid debts, but a refusal to negotiate can signal that the creditor is willing to escalate.
—
Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
Indeed, with Iran’s refusal to end hostilities on unfavorable terms and willingness to fight to the end, alongside Israel’s belligerence and desire to disintegrate the Iranian state, risks of further escalation remain.
—Alexander Langlois, Oc Register, 22 Apr. 2026
Hers is a quiet act of refusal.
—Jennifer Obel, Twin Cities, 22 Apr. 2026
Trump has repeatedly clashed with current chair Jerome Powell over his refusal to lower rates, prompting pushback from some politicians and business leaders.
—Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for refusal
Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
Indeed, with Iran’s refusal to end hostilities on unfavorable terms and willingness to fight to the end, alongside Israel’s belligerence and desire to disintegrate the Iranian state, risks of further escalation remain.
—Alexander Langlois, Oc Register, 22 Apr. 2026
Hers is a quiet act of refusal.
—Jennifer Obel, Twin Cities, 22 Apr. 2026
Trump has repeatedly clashed with current chair Jerome Powell over his refusal to lower rates, prompting pushback from some politicians and business leaders.
—Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for refusal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refusal
Noun
-
Yet spiritually agnostic voters may take comfort in Talarico’s rejection of Paxton’s willful mix of Church and state.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2026
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The process of peer review is often shrouded in secrecy to allow colleagues to criticize one another without professional repercussions, but one paper found that special issues tend to have faster turnaround times for articles, as well as lower rejection rates.—
Anil Oza,
STAT,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Both aircraft are critical in modern conflicts as dense radar networks, long-range surface-to-air missiles, electronic warfare (EW), and anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) capabilities often define success or failure.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Apr. 2026
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His odds of winning an appeal of his bond denial seemed low.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Refusal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refusal. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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