variants
or nos
1
as in nays
a vote or decision against something
though I wanted spaghetti for dinner, the consensus was a decisive no
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in refusals
an unwillingness to grant something asked for
gave him a polite no when he asked her to dance
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 noes
The winningest teams lose and Hollywood, there's so many nos.
—
Outside Online, 10 Sep. 2025
Some guys have been immediate nos.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
Here, Southern designers weigh in with insights on outdated bedding colors that are hard nos in their book.
—Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 27 Aug. 2025
Outside Online, 10 Sep. 2025
Some guys have been immediate nos.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
Here, Southern designers weigh in with insights on outdated bedding colors that are hard nos in their book.
—Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for noes
Noun
-
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
Noun
-
Mass refusals also led to the cancellation of multiple PEN America events.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Roberts’s votes in recent years—such as his decision to deny review in cases involving service refusals—suggest a preference to limit rather than undo .—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
At least seven grand jury rejections have occurred across five different cases since the administration’s crime and security surge crackdown began in August.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
1 Jan. 2026
-
Extraordinary rejections Granted, all these grand juries were in liberal jurisdictions, but their rejections of prosecutors’ claims are still striking, since indictments are usually notoriously easy to secure.—
Michelle Goldberg,
Mercury News,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Instead of blanket denials, applications will now be reviewed individually, provided companies meet a series of strict conditions.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Jan. 2026
-
The investigation focuses on potential violations of California’s Unfair Competition Law and follows growing complaints from residents about delays, underpayments, and denials of legitimate wildfire claims.—
Pat Maio,
Daily News,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Noes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/noes. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
