as in rejected
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1
as in denied
to be unwilling to grant
the reclusive movie star usually refuses requests for interviews
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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
Greta Cross, USA Today, 3 June 2026
Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026
At multiple locations blocks from the Garden, crowds refused numerous verbal commands to disperse, police said.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 12 June 2026
One former employee recalls a particularly telling anecdote from when Earle was on her way out of the company and refused to participate in an event.
—Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 12 June 2026
The renaming prompted a series of boycotts as several prominent artists and groups refused to perform at the center.
—Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Then President Volodymyr Zelenskyy refused to flee, and Russia couldn’t take Kyiv.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026
On Interstate 5, the car drove at speeds exceeding 90 mph, and the driver refused to yield to the officers with their lights on behind her.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 June 2026
But Ayush refused to pay him because the misspelled word wouldn’t promote the memecoin.
—T.m. Brown, CNN Money, 12 June 2026
While the woman refused medical attention at the airport, she was taken to Southern Regional to receive treatment for her cut.
—Dan Raby, CBS News, 12 June 2026
Adjective
Eight were transported to a local hospital and four refused transport.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 3 June 2026
Verb
The British newspaper reported that Hockney is believed to have turned down a knighthood on several occasions and is said to have once refused an invitation to paint the late Queen Elizabeth.
—Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026
At multiple locations blocks from the Garden, crowds refused numerous verbal commands to disperse, police said.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 12 June 2026
One former employee recalls a particularly telling anecdote from when Earle was on her way out of the company and refused to participate in an event.
—Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 12 June 2026
The renaming prompted a series of boycotts as several prominent artists and groups refused to perform at the center.
—Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Then President Volodymyr Zelenskyy refused to flee, and Russia couldn’t take Kyiv.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026
On Interstate 5, the car drove at speeds exceeding 90 mph, and the driver refused to yield to the officers with their lights on behind her.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 June 2026
But Ayush refused to pay him because the misspelled word wouldn’t promote the memecoin.
—T.m. Brown, CNN Money, 12 June 2026
While the woman refused medical attention at the airport, she was taken to Southern Regional to receive treatment for her cut.
—Dan Raby, CBS News, 12 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refused
Adjective
-
The vetoed bills aimed to create a regulated retail market, new oversight bodies, public health and equity programs, and a rollout schedule for licensing, regulations, and enforcement.—
Dario Sabaghi,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2026
-
The vetoed money is just part of the more than $300 million in state spending Kemp blocked to help pay for a significant income tax cut lawmakers passed on the final day of the legislative session.—
David Wickert,
AJC.com,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
The guilty plea was a stunning reversal for Heuermann who, according to his lawyer, tearfully denied being responsible for the killings after his arrest in 2023.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
-
The court filings said that Roa denied any involvement in the conspiracy.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Officials in Hood County, Texas, for example, rejected a proposal for a six-month moratorium after a state senator urged the Texas attorney general to intervene and prevent the measure.—
Rachel Mural,
The Conversation,
18 June 2026
-
New Delhi, however, rejected the claim, insisting the ceasefire was the result of direct bilateral talks with Pakistan.—
Kyra Colah,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
Three other vehicles with human drivers then appeared to illegally pass the stopped bus.—
Keri Heath,
Austin American Statesman,
3 Mar. 2026
-
The truck crossed into the eastbound lane and crashed into the stopped Kia, striking the three pedestrians, CHP said.—
Aidin Vaziri,
San Francisco Chronicle,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Florida citrus acreage declined from nearly 749,000 acres in 2004 to approximately 275,000 acres in 2024.—
Paul Meador,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 June 2026
-
The National Labor Relations Board declined jurisdiction on narrow grounds, warning that allowing one private-school team to unionize while most FBS programs were public universities could create instability.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
For the past five years, Juneteenth has been recognized as a federal holiday, encouraging people across the country to reflect not only on the nation's tangled past with slavery, but the wider legacy of forgotten, ignored and intentionally buried stories about Black America.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
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Against such seismic personal developments, the simultaneous grown and depletion of White Rock and its environs happen at a far more gradual pace, but don’t go ignored by Choijoovanchig and his patient camera.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Refused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refused. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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