denies

verb

present tense third-person singular of deny
1
as in refutes
to declare not to be true the congressman denied all charges of wrongdoing

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in refuses
to be unwilling to grant the director denied access to the top secret files to all but those with a need to know

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in rejects
to refuse to acknowledge as one's own or as one's responsibility in a futile attempt to get out of the contract, he even denied his own signature

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of denies Six women allege offenses dating from 1999 to 2009, and Brand denies the allegations vehemently. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 2 Nov. 2026 El-Sayed denies any ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and has publicly disavowed the group. — CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026 LaFountain and another lawyer who did not want to be named out of fear of retribution for their clients said Bridgeport’s probate court denies cases for reasons beyond the requirements. — Sasha Allen, Hartford Courant, 1 Nov. 2026 Her campaign denies any involvement in the apparent Sullivan scheme, but the New York Times story and prior reporting could be used to call into question her fitness to serve. — David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 30 Oct. 2026 Prosecutors say surveillance and body-camera footage contradict ICE’s account; the agency denies intentional contact, calls the indictment a political stunt and disputes local officials’ authority to investigate. — Anna Wilder, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026 Qatar denies the allegations, and the acting director of the CEC said there was no basis to the claims. — Joshua Yang, Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2026 The recent uptick in Russian attacks coincides with a critical shortage of air defense missiles in Ukraine, where Moscow consistently denies targeting civilians. — Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2026 Lula’s victory also denies Trump another political ally in Latin America, which include Argentinian President Javier Milei and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele. — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 26 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for denies
  1. refutes
  2. refuses
  3. rejects
  4. contradicts
  5. declines
  6. disavows
  7. criticizes
Verb
  • The governor’s campaign responded to a request for comment Sunday, saying a witness refutes that the phone was touched.
    — Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 1 Nov. 2026
  • The Mad King, however, refutes the legitimacy of any kind of prophecy, even going so far to reject the notion of destiny.
    — Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of refutes
Verb
  • Foreign courts may decide divorce and custody but generally do not have jurisdiction to divide those benefits as a US court can, leaving spouses little recourse if the service member refuses to share them voluntarily.
    — Brianna Keilar, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Many veteran leaders express frustration, claiming that Generation Z lacks loyalty, demands too much flexibility or refuses to put in the grueling hours that previous generations accepted as the standard.
    — Kent Ingle, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of refuses
Verb
  • Remaining steadfast in his dharma (religious and moral principles), Rama rejects all of Lakshmana’s suggestions for resistance and insists that obedience to his father and preservation of righteousness must take precedence over royal position.
    — Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
  • However, a large percentage of the Brazilian electorate also consistently rejects the prospect of voting for another Bolsonaro for president.
    — David Unsworth, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of rejects
Verb
  • The motion also argues that the letter contradicts what witnesses testified during the trial about the timeline of when Thompson reported her concerns about the medication log.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
  • An agent also needs to know where information came from, when it was updated and whether another source contradicts it.
    — Shekhar Iyer, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of contradicts
Verb
  • Still, the ratings declines are a problem for Fox and Fox News, which will need to turn things around at some point.
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Rama asks Lakshmana to share the responsibilities of government and accept the position of heir apparent, but Lakshmana declines.
    — Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of declines
Verb
  • In the decades since then, Japan has largely adopted a pacifist stance that disavows its imperial past.
    — Mimi Hanaoka, The Conversation, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Everyone quoted in the book ultimately disavows those rumors, including Yetnikoff.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 23 Oct. 2025
Definition of disavows
Verb
  • Cervera, who often publicly criticizes school district decisions, defends his criticism of Fernandez.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2026
  • At an October debate, Bass pointed out that Raman, as chair of the city council’s housing and homelessness committee, had repeatedly approved spending on Inside Safe, the very program Raman now criticizes as expensive and insufficiently accountable.
    — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of criticizes

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denied
denies
denigrate
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Cite this Entry

“Denies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/denies. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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