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
Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 8 May 2026
Since officials in the Canary Islands refused to allow Hondius to dock in Tenerife, the boat will instead anchor offshore.
—Mark Osborne, CBS News, 8 May 2026
Sources suggested that several prominent fashion houses refused to dress her for the gala.
—Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 8 May 2026
Wilson initially refused to appear in court, declining to be transported from jail and prompting a judge to issue a rare warrant authorizing authorities to use force to bring him in, KTTV reported.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026
The federal Trademark Office refused Defendants’ mark, and rather than engage that finding, Defendants argue about, well, almost anything else.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 8 May 2026
But the reserves refused to cooperate with that notion.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 1 May 2026
But Sessions testified that Exxon’s lawyers refused to negotiate directly with senior Venezuelan officials to resolve their legal dispute, which was going through arbitration in the International Court of Justice.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 1 May 2026
Ball’s team refused to hand any of it over.
—Charlotte Observer, 1 May 2026
Verb
So far, Aoun has refused to engage in face-to-face discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, demanding a complete halt to Israeli fire on the country.
—Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 8 May 2026
Since officials in the Canary Islands refused to allow Hondius to dock in Tenerife, the boat will instead anchor offshore.
—Mark Osborne, CBS News, 8 May 2026
Sources suggested that several prominent fashion houses refused to dress her for the gala.
—Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 8 May 2026
Wilson initially refused to appear in court, declining to be transported from jail and prompting a judge to issue a rare warrant authorizing authorities to use force to bring him in, KTTV reported.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026
The federal Trademark Office refused Defendants’ mark, and rather than engage that finding, Defendants argue about, well, almost anything else.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 8 May 2026
But the reserves refused to cooperate with that notion.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 1 May 2026
But Sessions testified that Exxon’s lawyers refused to negotiate directly with senior Venezuelan officials to resolve their legal dispute, which was going through arbitration in the International Court of Justice.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 1 May 2026
Ball’s team refused to hand any of it over.
—Charlotte Observer, 1 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refused
Verb
-
Clemente first denied drinking but later admitted to consuming alcohol.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
-
Vinicius Jr had alleged that Prestianni had racially abused him, which Prestianni denied on social media.—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
While Raman portrayed herself as the focus of attacks from both opponents, Bass’ campaign rejected that framing as a distraction from her debate performance and City Council record.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
8 May 2026
-
Last year, the governor rejected the legislation banning algorithms that had been used to hike rent prices in Denver and elsewhere, despite a letter from the House Democratic caucus urging him to sign it.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Kazarian declined to comment further on Friday afternoon.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
-
The Padres placed Cruz on the restricted list in mid-March and have declined further comment.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Despite wooden signs prohibiting people reserving sun loungers with towels and then leaving them, the father-of-two said guests routinely ignored the warning.—
Charlotte Reck,
CNN Money,
7 May 2026
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To some, the data centers are an inevitable part of our future and an economic opportunity that can’t be ignored as the global AI race accelerates.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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Leaving Polis off the guest list of a recent governors’ dinner at the White House was the latest slap in the face of many that include rescinded federal grants, a vetoed water bill, rejected disaster fund requests, and the loss of two federal agencies.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
6 Mar. 2026
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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
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Refused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refused. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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