nays

noun

plural of nay
1
as in noes
a vote or decision against something when the votes were tallied, it was 241 yeas and 54 nays

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in refusals
an unwillingness to grant something asked for gave a resounding nay to the request for a mixed-company camping trip

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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 nays And on July 2, after the arrival of British forces in New York lent the proceedings new urgency, Congress did, in fact, declare independence—with a vote of 12 yeas, 0 nays, and 1 abstention. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 July 2026 With Cornyn not on the floor, the vote for more than 25 minutes was stuck at 56 ayes and 40 nays, with three other GOP senators, Rick Scott of Florida, Wisconsin’s Ron Johnson and Mike Lee of Utah, not voting, for unclear reasons. — Emily Wilkins,dan Mangan, CNBC, 10 Nov. 2025 Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced the decision following an endorsement from the Chamber of Deputies and a Senate vote that saw 76 ayes, five nays and 35 abstentions. — Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nays
  1. noes
  2. refusals
  3. vetoes
  4. rejections
  5. denials
Noun
  • While that effort went down with a wider margin, 84 nos and 17 yeses, a dozen Republicans supported it, revealing the extent of unease over the issue within the Senate GOP conference.
    — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 4 June 2026
  • On the framework amendment, there were 12 Republican noes.
    — Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 19 Apr. 2026
Definition of noes
Noun
  • The performance lives in tiny hesitations, fleeting glances and emotional refusals.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
  • The Iraqi News Agency also reported that officials had denied the claim, citing the Iraqi Football Association as saying reports of visa refusals were inaccurate.
    — Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2026
Definition of refusals
Noun
  • DeSantis’ vetoes carved roughly $800 million from the $115 billion state budget the Legislature passed in May, including 140 projects requested by Miami-Dade lawmakers that are worth nearly $88 million, according to a Miami Herald analysis.
    — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026
  • One of his biggest vetoes slashed more more than $225 million for new housing and maintenance of existing facilities requested by the Department of Corrections.
    — Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 June 2026
Definition of vetoes
Noun
  • Along with all of his rejections, Holden has a very clear set of ideas about what sorts of behaviors and activities and companions are correct.
    — Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
  • For Raghozar, the rejections and disappointments altered her mentality and motivation entirely.
    — Kayla Lee, Mercury News, 7 July 2026
Definition of rejections
Noun
  • The instinct in every one of these cases is to freak out, to fire off denials and go quiet, and that instinct is almost always the wrong one, since silence reads as guilt and panic reads as relevance.
    — Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • Between 2016 and 2023, claim denials increased from 9% to 12%.
    — Miranda Yaver, The Conversation, 2 July 2026
Definition of denials

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Cite this Entry

“Nays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nays. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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