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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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
  • Near daybreak, when the Senate did call for the vote to adjourn, Lee and others objected with hearty nos.
    — Lisa Mascaro, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of noes
Noun
  • In nearly all of the Thailand and Cambodia refusals, the model’s reasoning invoked criminal restrictions or lèse-majesté laws.
    — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Sol, but it's designed to improve capabilities and reduce refusals on certain specialized cybersecurity tasks.
    — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of refusals
Noun
  • At such a meeting, unions lack voting power, and major shareholders like the Porsche/Piech families and Qatar could secure the 75% majority needed for structural changes, bypassing traditional vetoes.
    — Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Their responsibilities include passing bills, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes and voting to uphold or override vetoes.
    — The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of vetoes
Noun
  • With incomings, Newcastle’s summer started with a whimper and ended with a bang, a slow-burn of early rejections from high-profile targets which did little to ease a sense of disquiet among supporters.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Garner missed out on a role on The West Wing, Clooney lost a movie role to his best friend Brad Pitt and one of Damon’s biggest rejections ultimately inspired him to write Good Will Hunting.
    — Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of rejections
Noun
  • Entry denials have risen sharply over the past year and for reasons that did not constitute grounds for denial previously, including suspicions of anti-Israel views, say Israeli lawyers who represent travelers who were denied entry.
    — Daniel Estrin, NPR, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Read more from Liz on the details of the ADA’s denials and how those involved have reacted.
    — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of denials

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nay
nays
naysayer
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Cite this Entry

“Nays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nays. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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