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
Relevance
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 county plan, meanwhile, has been blessed at different times by other city boards, including the historic preservation board, the urban design review board and the City Commission, sometimes after initial denials were overturned by courts.
—
Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 8 May 2026
The denial led the family to seek refuge in Canada, instead.
—Daniella Silva, NBC news, 7 May 2026
Both companies have mixed customer reviews, with complaints often citing claim denials and poor contractor performance.
—Jamela Adam, USA Today, 7 May 2026
There were potential antitrust arguments regarding the denial of compensation for USHL players given that no-pay rules were no longer needed to maintain players’ NCAA eligibility.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for denial
Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 8 May 2026
The denial led the family to seek refuge in Canada, instead.
—Daniella Silva, NBC news, 7 May 2026
Both companies have mixed customer reviews, with complaints often citing claim denials and poor contractor performance.
—Jamela Adam, USA Today, 7 May 2026
There were potential antitrust arguments regarding the denial of compensation for USHL players given that no-pay rules were no longer needed to maintain players’ NCAA eligibility.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for denial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for denial
Noun
-
Da Vinci won with the track at the Sanremo Music Festival earlier this year, giving him the right of first refusal to represent Italy at Eurovision.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
16 May 2026
-
That opacity serves a clear purpose, but Martelli is enamored by it to a fault, and Inés’ refusal to question the people around her or make any significant decisions beyond keeping her mouth shut eventually proves more trying than helpful.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Florida Gators athletic director Scott Stricklin may not have realized it in December, but losing Lane Kiffin to LSU could eventually look less like a rejection and more like a fortunate escape.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 May 2026
-
Not as punishment or as a rejection of the technology, but as a deliberate change of pace.—
Illia Smoliienko,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Denial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/denial. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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