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
Such refusal letters are rare and typically reserved for applications with egregious omissions.
—
Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 20 Mar. 2026
Bondi met privately with committee members on Wednesday, but Democrats walked out, citing her refusal to comply with a subpoena.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 19 Mar. 2026
That, and a refusal to scale recklessly.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
What distinguished the broadcaster’s approach was a refusal to treat AI as a cost-efficiency play.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for refusal
Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 20 Mar. 2026
Bondi met privately with committee members on Wednesday, but Democrats walked out, citing her refusal to comply with a subpoena.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 19 Mar. 2026
That, and a refusal to scale recklessly.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
What distinguished the broadcaster’s approach was a refusal to treat AI as a cost-efficiency play.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for refusal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refusal
Noun
-
The Cuban government rejection was first reported by The Washington Post.—
MATTHEW LEE,
Arkansas Online,
22 Mar. 2026
-
The manosphere’s celebration of Kamala Harris’ defeat — framed not just as a political victory but as a rejection of female leadership itself — reflects a broader erosion of gender equality.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
While music alone cannot deliver accountability, the law can ensure that violence does not disappear into denial or historical amnesia.—
Christina Hioureas,
Rolling Stone,
22 Mar. 2026
-
At one point Gentile agreed to submit to a polygraph examination, presumably to demonstrate his denials were truthful.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Refusal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refusal. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.
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