1
as in refusal
an unwillingness to grant something asked for
our supervisor's denial of unpaid personal leave got mixed reactions from the staff
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rejection
a refusal to confirm the truth of a statement
the senator issued a flat denial of the accusation against her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of denial
The goal for today's audiences, Maze said, is for people to be inspired by Grunwald's story and to speak out against bigotry and hatred, especially in an era of rising antisemitism and Holocaust denial.
—
Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 9 Oct. 2025
And eventually Aline/Orlanda’s various denials set them on a path to tragedy.
—Mj Franklin, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
There was some denial when they got started.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2025
Many fans seem to believe, possibly trapped in the denial portion of the Five Stages of Falling Out of Love With Your Idol, that this is a decoy album.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for denial
Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 9 Oct. 2025
And eventually Aline/Orlanda’s various denials set them on a path to tragedy.
—Mj Franklin, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
There was some denial when they got started.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2025
Many fans seem to believe, possibly trapped in the denial portion of the Five Stages of Falling Out of Love With Your Idol, that this is a decoy album.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for denial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for denial
Noun
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Emerson found the transfer retaliatory and said Philip’s refusal was protected under California labor law.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
13 Oct. 2025
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Anything from Hamas’s refusal to accept terms of transitional period, completely disarming, or a violent incident could become a pretext to violate the ceasefire.—
Shibley Telhami,
Time,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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One day, doctors could produce blood fully compatible with a patient’s body, avoiding rejection risks.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Other university leaders are saying MIT's rejection of the deal opens the door for other institutions to make the same choice, rather than agree to deals like some of the Ivies have.—
Emma Hinchliffe,
Fortune,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Denial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/denial. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
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