refuse
verb
\
Definition of refuse
(Entry 1 of 3)
refuse
noun
, -ˌfyüz\
Definition of refuse (Entry 2 of 3)
refuse
adjective
, -ˌfyüz\
Definition of refuse (Entry 3 of 3)
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Synonyms & Antonyms for refuse
Synonyms: Verb
decline, deny, disallow, disapprove, negative, nix, reject, reprobate, withhold
Synonyms: Noun
chaff, deadwood, debris, dreck (also drek), dross, dust, effluvium (also effluvia), garbage, junk, litter, offal, offscouring, raffle, riffraff, rubbish, scrap, spilth, trash, truck, waste
Antonyms: Verb
allow, concede, grant, let, OK (or okay), permit
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Examples of refuse in a Sentence
Verb
When they offered me the money, I couldn't refuse. They asked her to help but she refused.Noun
refuse had littered the playground until our volunteer group cleaned it up
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
As phones, computers and other electronics have grown ever smaller, their optical components have stubbornly refused to shrink. — Alberto Moscatelli, Scientific American, "Tiny Lenses Will Enable Design of Miniature Optical Devices," 1 July 2019 After initially refusing point-blank, Sean grudgingly concedes to the pilgrimage and the pair fly off to Dublin. — Stephen Dalton, The Hollywood Reporter, "'End of Sentence': Film Review | Edinburgh 2019," 30 June 2019 In others, parents have refused to take custody of their children, due to harmful behaviors. — Mary Jo Pitzl, Arizona Republic, "Department of Child Safety doesn't want to house youth who have committed crimes. New law gives time to find alternatives," 27 June 2019 When his father refused to give him permission, the 14-year-old and two friends, who were brothers, decided to run away from their Michigan homes and attend anyway. — Elizabeth Marie Himchak, Pomerado News, "Rancho Bernardo centenarian experienced many adventures," 27 June 2019 After stripping the backseat and the trunk of its many parts, the Model 3 refused to start. — Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, "YouTuber Simone Giertz transformed a Tesla Model 3 into a pickup truck," 18 June 2019 Aftermarket prices have already cratered for Huawei phones, and some trade-in shops are refusing to accept Huawei devices. — Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, "Huawei bracing for a 40% to 60% drop in international smartphone shipments," 17 June 2019 The guard and patron who were struck were taken to area hospitals for treatment and the guard who was grazed refused treatment, according to reports. — Zak Koeske, Daily Southtown, "Son of Harvey cop shot security guards, patron before being killed, sheriff's investigation finds," 14 June 2019 He was met with skepticism, but refused to compromise on his core vision: connecting people with nature. — Diana Budds, Curbed, "This suburban utopia is all about worshipping nature," 14 June 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Japan, which has cultivated just this rubbish acumen, is hoping to cash in on the refuse boom. — Ephrat Livni, Quartz, "Japan wants to become Southeast Asia’s trash manager," 23 June 2019 No substances had been added that would chemically alter the refuse, MIRA officials said. — Dave Altimari, courant.com, "State police expect to end weekslong search of Hartford trash plant, which they say hasn’t yielded any key evidence in case of missing New Canaan mother Jennifer Farber Dulos," 19 June 2019 Some streets and sidewalks are still strewn with debris, and flies buzz over garbage cans overflowing with refuse. — Sarah Meehan, baltimoresun.com, "You asked: Why is there so much litter in Baltimore? We dug into the city's trash problem.," 18 June 2019 In the 2018 fiscal year, the first year of the trial period, the town collected a total of 18,674 tons of refuse and recycled 7,269 tons — or 28 percent — of that total. — Emily Brindley, courant.com, "West Hartford modifies recycling schedule, adds yard waste collection," 17 June 2019 The refuse was mislabeled as recyclable plastics when it was sent years ago to the Philippines, which recently insisted Canada take it back. — Michelle Krupa, CNN, "Start your Monday smart: SEAL trial, Hope Hicks, Guatemala, Canada, 'Toy Story 4'," 16 June 2019 The former refuse to take foreigners seriously and have a strong sense of national unity. — Sahil Handa, National Review, "Reclaiming Britishness from the Brexit Debacle," 10 June 2019 The contract also calls for an increase in the monthly household refuse collection charge from $17.41 to $19.30. — Brian Lisik, cleveland.com, "Brunswick residents can talk about trash on Saturday at public hearing on curbside recycling," 3 June 2019 Marnell Gibson, public works director, said her department is proposing a 1% rate increase for refuse services, which would mean about a $0.33 hike per month for most residents. — Anthony Clark Carpio, latimes.com, "Burbank officials begin proposed budget review," 5 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'refuse.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for refuse
refuse
verb
English Language Learners Definition of refuse
(Entry 1 of 2)
refuse
noun
English Language Learners Definition of refuse (Entry 2 of 2)
See the full definition for refuse in the English Language Learners Dictionary
refuse
verb
\
Kids Definition of refuse
(Entry 1 of 2)
refuse
noun
\
Kids Definition of refuse (Entry 2 of 2)
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