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
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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
Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 10 Nov. 2025
And the defense refused to yield.
—Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
What Thune, who has refused to negotiate, might promise on health care is unknown.
—Arkansas Online, 9 Nov. 2025
Faced with a devastating prognosis, Stacie refused to accept that this would be the end of her husband’s story.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025
The president refused to meet until the day before the deadline.
—ABC News, 2 Nov. 2025
The daughter refused and didn’t return her mother’s calls.
—Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2025
Congressional Democrats have refused to sign off on a federal spending bill that doesn't extend the subsidies, which has prompted a monthlong federal government shutdown.
—Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
Grier initially had refused to take calls on several players including wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, cornerback Rasul Douglas as well as edge rushers Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb and Matthew Judon, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
—Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
Google, Meta, Microsoft’s LinkedIn, and Elon Musk’s X have all delayed, adjusted, or flat-out refused to launch AI products because of the bloc’s laws.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 10 Nov. 2025
And the defense refused to yield.
—Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
What Thune, who has refused to negotiate, might promise on health care is unknown.
—Arkansas Online, 9 Nov. 2025
Faced with a devastating prognosis, Stacie refused to accept that this would be the end of her husband’s story.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025
The president refused to meet until the day before the deadline.
—ABC News, 2 Nov. 2025
The daughter refused and didn’t return her mother’s calls.
—Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2025
Congressional Democrats have refused to sign off on a federal spending bill that doesn't extend the subsidies, which has prompted a monthlong federal government shutdown.
—Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
Grier initially had refused to take calls on several players including wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, cornerback Rasul Douglas as well as edge rushers Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb and Matthew Judon, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
—Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refused
Verb
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The Supreme Court also previously denied an appeal filed by Davis in 2020.—
Jason Lemon,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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That defeat denied Indianapolis a playoff appearance and infuriated the man in charge of it all.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Still, this is early days, and there have been similar drugs which looked promising at the beginning but were later rejected due to safety concerns, Nadar said.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
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That can feel quite personal, and maybe the parents feel rejected too.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Dillard's declined to comment for this article.—
Amir Mahmoud,
Arkansas Online,
9 Nov. 2025
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Owens’ attorney, Joshua Kolsrud, who is representing her in the criminal allegations involving Echard and, now, the Scottsdale man, declined to comment, citing her pending criminal trial, which is scheduled for January 2026.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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For weeks, the FDC, from its communication staff to Secretary Mark Inch, has ignored questions from reporters about how many inmates were being tested, how many tests were coming back positive, how many were coming back negative and how many were pending.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
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The woman expresses frustration that her financial reality seems ignored.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
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
Cite this Entry
“Refused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refused. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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