as in rejected
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1
as in denied
to be unwilling to grant
the reclusive movie star usually refuses requests for interviews
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in declined
to show unwillingness to accept, do, engage in, or agree to
she refused the award, citing the hard work of others who deserved the recognition more than she did
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of refused
Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 4 Apr. 2026
Some customers claimed that they were still charged for a subscription despite attempts to cancel it, and that the company then refused to give them a refund.
—Rebecca Strong, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
The state has refused to send that data to a lab capable of analyzing it, and refused to give the defense its own copy of the data so it can be sent to the Texas lab.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2026
Yopchick said 14 people sustained injuries and 11 people were taken to area hospitals Rush Oak Park, Loyola University Medical Center, MacNeal Hospital and Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, while three people were treated at the scene and refused further medical treatment.
—Cam'ron Hardy, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
The report eases one of the Fed’s trickiest dilemmas from the past year, when weak job growth put pressure on officials to cut rates even as inflation refused to come down.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026
At the time of the invite, Congress was furiously bickering over a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill, as Democrats refused to allocate funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 3 Apr. 2026
The California dairy company previously refused to recall its products when the FDA’s investigation began in mid-March.
—Kaan Ozcan, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026
The woman refused any more information and was placed in the women’s ward.
—Kevin Foster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Mar. 2026
Verb
Thompson refused to comply and raised the firearm toward the officers.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 4 Apr. 2026
Some customers claimed that they were still charged for a subscription despite attempts to cancel it, and that the company then refused to give them a refund.
—Rebecca Strong, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
The state has refused to send that data to a lab capable of analyzing it, and refused to give the defense its own copy of the data so it can be sent to the Texas lab.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2026
Yopchick said 14 people sustained injuries and 11 people were taken to area hospitals Rush Oak Park, Loyola University Medical Center, MacNeal Hospital and Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, while three people were treated at the scene and refused further medical treatment.
—Cam'ron Hardy, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
The report eases one of the Fed’s trickiest dilemmas from the past year, when weak job growth put pressure on officials to cut rates even as inflation refused to come down.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026
At the time of the invite, Congress was furiously bickering over a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill, as Democrats refused to allocate funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 3 Apr. 2026
The California dairy company previously refused to recall its products when the FDA’s investigation began in mid-March.
—Kaan Ozcan, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026
The woman refused any more information and was placed in the women’s ward.
—Kevin Foster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refused
Verb
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During a court hearing Wednesday morning, Davis' attorney, Simon Steckel, filed a motion to dismiss, which the judge denied.—
Bri Buckley,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Hernandez denied any knowledge or responsibility for what went on at the house.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Tobolowsky previously rejected motions from other Gateway elders, ruling that the suit was not a religious issue and could be handled in secular court.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Apr. 2026
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My first preference was always the path of diplomacy, yet the regime continued their relentless quest for nuclear weapons and rejected every attempt at an agreement.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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All of the candidates would be newcomers to the board, since incumbents Denise Fears and Blake Roberson declined to run.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2026
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Uber declined to comment on its latest entry into the autonomous vehicle market.—
Michael Butler,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Ames is one of thousands of women who have felt ignored by medical professionals.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
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Since ancient times, athletes have often ignored the rules in their quest for glory.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Leaving Polis off the guest list of a recent governors’ dinner at the White House was the latest slap in the face of many that include rescinded federal grants, a vetoed water bill, rejected disaster fund requests, and the loss of two federal agencies.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
6 Mar. 2026
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Transparency instead of testing Where the vetoed SB 1047 would have mandated safety testing and kill switches for AI systems, the new law focuses on disclosure.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Three other vehicles with human drivers then appeared to illegally pass the stopped bus.—
Keri Heath,
Austin American Statesman,
3 Mar. 2026
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The truck crossed into the eastbound lane and crashed into the stopped Kia, striking the three pedestrians, CHP said.—
Aidin Vaziri,
San Francisco Chronicle,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Refused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refused. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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