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spurn

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word spurn different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of spurn are decline, refuse, reject, and repudiate. While all these words mean "to turn away by not accepting, receiving, or considering," spurn stresses contempt or disdain in rejection or repudiation.

spurned his overtures of friendship

Where would decline be a reasonable alternative to spurn?

In some situations, the words decline and spurn are roughly equivalent. However, decline often implies courteous refusal especially of offers or invitations.

declined his party's nomination

When could refuse be used to replace spurn?

The words refuse and spurn are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, refuse suggests more positiveness or ungraciousness and often implies the denial of something asked for.

refused to lend them the money

When would reject be a good substitute for spurn?

The synonyms reject and spurn are sometimes interchangeable, but reject implies a peremptory refusal by sending away or discarding.

rejected the manuscript as unpublishable

When might repudiate be a better fit than spurn?

The meanings of repudiate and spurn largely overlap; however, repudiate implies a casting off or disowning as untrue, unauthorized, or unworthy of acceptance.

teenagers who repudiate the values of their parents

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of spurn
Verb
But the Blades spurned several chances to put the game beyond Sunderland’s reach and the Black Cats equalized in the 76th minute as Eliezer Mayenda rifled the ball into the net. Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 24 May 2025 Six days after Soto spurned the Yankees to sign a $765 million contract with the Mets, the Yankees pivoted to acquire Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs and plug a hole in the outfield. Andy McCullough, New York Times, 17 May 2025 Putin spurned an offer this week by Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet face-to-face for peace talks in Istanbul. Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 16 May 2025 The latest push to end the fighting got off to a rocky start on Thursday, when Russian President Vladimir Putin spurned an offer by Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet face-to-face. Hanna Arhirova, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for spurn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurn
Verb
  • The Trump administration has tested the limits of this system by refusing to spend money that Congress had previously allocated.
    Camila Domonoske, NPR, 25 June 2025
  • Pallone added Kennedy has refused to take public input about vaccines, including his decision to overhaul a vaccine advisory panel, called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP.
    Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 25 June 2025
Noun
  • Each witness stated Cassie did not want the police involved, with security corroborating Cassie's refusal to call law enforcement officials.
    Lauryn Overhultz , Tracy Wright , Kirill Clark, FOXNews.com, 24 June 2025
  • The following guide is the definitive travel companion for pop culture lovers, adventurers, and anyone who’s ever related to Victoria Ratliff’s (Parker Posey) refusal to live an uncomfortable life.
    Ashlee Marie Preston, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • That kind of backlash prompted officials in La Mesa, Oceanside, Vista and Carlsbad to reject digital billboard proposals.
    David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 June 2025
  • This can manifest into an AI tool that ends up rejecting qualified job candidates because it was trained on biased data.
    Janice Gassam Asare, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • But the league declined to comment on any punishment for the official.
    Chris Vannini, New York Times, 18 June 2025
  • Reached over the phone, Barry Caro, president of Bartholomew Communications and Strategies, declined to comment.
    Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 18 June 2025
Noun
  • Protesters have embraced the flag as a symbol of cultural pride and a repudiation of anti-immigrant policies against the backdrop of National Guard and Marines deployed to the city by President Donald Trump.
    Stephen J. Beard, USA Today, 15 June 2025
  • The ruling marked a rare and sweeping judicial repudiation of the administration’s unprecedented use of military personnel to support deportation operations amid immigration protests in the south state.
    Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 13 June 2025
Noun
  • Larger than life, his creation repulses and torments him, and Victor spends the rest of his life both running from it and trying to destroy it.
    Ann Kowal Smith, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
  • The optical, stop-motion, and puppetry effects alone should make Brain Damage a priority on your watchlist, but Henenlotter’s film excites and repulses on a deeper level.
    Rory Doherty, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Spurn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurn. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.

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