as in rejected
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in denied
to be unwilling to grant
the reclusive movie star usually refuses requests for interviews
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in declined
to show unwillingness to accept, do, engage in, or agree to
she refused the award, citing the hard work of others who deserved the recognition more than she did
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of refused
Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 28 Feb. 2026
Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas has refused to give the federal government a version of voter registration data including people’s social security numbers or driver’s license numbers, which current state law prohibits sharing.
—Ct Mirror, Hartford Courant, 27 Feb. 2026
Both initially refused to comply with a subpoena before relenting under threat of a House vote to hold them in contempt.
—Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
Three people refused to be hospitalized, MDFR said.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
His initial attempts to force a swift end to the war led to tensions with Zelensky, who refused to accept a peace deal with terms that favored the Russians.
—Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2026
Parents of another toddler with low oxygen refused to be transported.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 27 Feb. 2026
But Barakat refused to let his team go down on senior night, driving to the basket and scoring with three seconds remaining to force OT.
—Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
The Heat continually have refused the step back, and their luck has not been particularly profitable in the draft.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 20 Feb. 2026
Verb
Gonzales has refused to step down from office after the texts were made public this week, and at least six Republicans have called for his resignation, upending another Texas race with primaries looming.
—Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 28 Feb. 2026
Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas has refused to give the federal government a version of voter registration data including people’s social security numbers or driver’s license numbers, which current state law prohibits sharing.
—Ct Mirror, Hartford Courant, 27 Feb. 2026
Both initially refused to comply with a subpoena before relenting under threat of a House vote to hold them in contempt.
—Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
Three people refused to be hospitalized, MDFR said.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
His initial attempts to force a swift end to the war led to tensions with Zelensky, who refused to accept a peace deal with terms that favored the Russians.
—Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2026
Parents of another toddler with low oxygen refused to be transported.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 27 Feb. 2026
But Barakat refused to let his team go down on senior night, driving to the basket and scoring with three seconds remaining to force OT.
—Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
The Heat continually have refused the step back, and their luck has not been particularly profitable in the draft.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 20 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refused
Verb
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All suspects had denied any connection with the councilwoman's killing.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Uthmeier has denied wrongdoing and claimed victory in defeating the amendments.—
Alexandra Glorioso,
Miami Herald,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Naperville City Council members rejected the request, arguing that the proposal made the center feel less welcoming to the Naperville community.—
Carolyn Stein,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Feb. 2026
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Years later, when Taylor went to apply for an apartment, they were told they were being rejected because of poor credit.—
Katy Golvala,
Hartford Courant,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The embassy reopening plans are classified and the State Department declined to comment on details beyond confirming that the congressional notification was sent.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Feb. 2026
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District officials declined to detail the concerns raised against district Trustee Tom Duncan, saying additional background information appears in reporting by the Auburn Journal.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Injuries over the past year may have left him unavailable for selection, but there were times last season when his claims were ignored and others like Newcastle United’s Dan Burn and Liverpool’s Jarell Quansah (now at Bayer Leverkusen) were selected.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
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For months, Bill Clinton, 79, and Hillary Clinton, 78, largely ignored the matter in public but that became harder to sustain in December when the former president was featured prominently in the first batch of Epstein files.—
STEVEN SLOAN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Transparency instead of testing Where the vetoed SB 1047 would have mandated safety testing and kill switches for AI systems, the new law focuses on disclosure.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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One clip appears to show a Waymo vehicle stopped while other vehicles illegally pass a stopped bus.—
Karoline Leonard,
Austin American Statesman,
15 Jan. 2026
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That's when a 51-year-old woman driving a Tesla south on Highway 85 struck the Focus, causing both cars to spin and crash into a stopped semi-truck.—
Austen Erblat,
CBS News,
31 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Refused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refused. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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