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Definition of refusal
1 : the act of refusing or denying
2 : the opportunity or right of refusing or taking before others
From the M-W Editors
Examples of refusal in a Sentence
My request for more money was met with a flat refusal.
his flat refusal of our reasonable request was rather startling
Recent Examples of refusal from the Web
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A very long handshake with with Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe also was a bit head-scratching to the public, as was Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's outright refusal to shake hands with Trump.
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A second lawsuit was filed fighting the restrictions and Ghiz's refusal to release questionnaires completed by the jury.
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The state of Michigan has sued the city of Flint for its refusal to approve a long term deal to buy water from a Detroit-area system.
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Its fate remained uncertain since the four lawmakers' refusal to back the Senate draft would leave Republicans short of the votes for passage.
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Since the election, Eisen has been saying that Trump’s refusal to fully divorce from his company would provide the president’s opponents with an opening.
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When alt-right media picked up the story of Mormon student Ryan Rotela’s refusal to complete the multicultural studies exercise on religious grounds and his subsequent suspension, FAU took it on the chin.
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Then a few days later the city took that right of first refusal off the table.
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The refusal leaves Germany little choice but to pull out of the base, further souring Turkey’s relations with its most important trading partner while deepening cracks in the NATO military alliance.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'refusal'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of refusal
15th century
REFUSAL Defined for English Language Learners
refusal
playDefinition of refusal for English Language Learners
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: an act of saying or showing that you will not do, give, or accept something : an act of refusing
REFUSAL Defined for Kids
refusal
playDefinition of refusal for Students
: the act of showing unwillingness to do, give, or allow something a refusal to answer questions
Learn More about refusal
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See words that rhyme with refusal Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for refusal Spanish Central: Translation of refusal Nglish: Translation of refusal for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of refusal for Arabic speakers
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