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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of refused
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
The woman refused any more information and was placed in the women’s ward.
—Kevin Foster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Mar. 2026
Since the contract ended, documents show OVG has sought $5 million in damages from Dallas, saying the city improperly ended the agreement, refused to pay invoices for work performed before the termination and failed to reimburse certain expenses and investments.
—Aria Jones, Dallas Morning News, 27 Mar. 2026
The sheriff's office said Woods agreed to take a breathalyzer test which showed no alcohol in his system, but refused to take a urine test, which is used to detect drugs or medication.
—Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
Democrats demanded changes in ICE and DHS more broadly and refused to fund the department.
—Emily Wilkins,justin Papp, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
Sununu’s dad served as governor, as did his brother Chris, who refused entreaties to run in the party’s Senate races.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 27 Mar. 2026
Senators have already left Washington for a planned recess, and Democrats have refused to vote for any spending bill that funds ICE.
—Sam Gringlas, NPR, 27 Mar. 2026
Grohl refused to answer additional questions about his cheating, instead suggesting that the Foo Fighters’ upcoming album contains songs and lyrics that allude to it.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Verb
In the process, the Bulls refused to shut down players such as center Jalen Smith, who finally was shut down for the season this week after reaggravating a calf injury once again in Wednesday’s game.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
The woman refused any more information and was placed in the women’s ward.
—Kevin Foster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Mar. 2026
Since the contract ended, documents show OVG has sought $5 million in damages from Dallas, saying the city improperly ended the agreement, refused to pay invoices for work performed before the termination and failed to reimburse certain expenses and investments.
—Aria Jones, Dallas Morning News, 27 Mar. 2026
The sheriff's office said Woods agreed to take a breathalyzer test which showed no alcohol in his system, but refused to take a urine test, which is used to detect drugs or medication.
—Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
Democrats demanded changes in ICE and DHS more broadly and refused to fund the department.
—Emily Wilkins,justin Papp, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
Sununu’s dad served as governor, as did his brother Chris, who refused entreaties to run in the party’s Senate races.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 27 Mar. 2026
Senators have already left Washington for a planned recess, and Democrats have refused to vote for any spending bill that funds ICE.
—Sam Gringlas, NPR, 27 Mar. 2026
Grohl refused to answer additional questions about his cheating, instead suggesting that the Foo Fighters’ upcoming album contains songs and lyrics that allude to it.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refused
Verb
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During a court hearing Wednesday morning, Davis' attorney, Simon Steckel, filed a motion to dismiss, which the judge denied.—
Bri Buckley,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Hernandez denied any knowledge or responsibility for what went on at the house.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Democrats are pushing for additional restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which Thune and Republicans have rejected so far.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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About 2% of authors were caught, and their papers rejected, Nature reported.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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All of the candidates would be newcomers to the board, since incumbents Denise Fears and Blake Roberson declined to run.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2026
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Uber declined to comment on its latest entry into the autonomous vehicle market.—
Michael Butler,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Concerns raised by witnesses An external investigation found no evidence that district employees knew of or ignored prior misconduct, though parents and lawmakers have questioned the district's oversight.—
Doug Myers,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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To be clear, Peacock (which, like Sky, is part of Comcast) hardly ignored SNL UK prior to its launch.—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 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
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Three other vehicles with human drivers then appeared to illegally pass the stopped bus.—
Keri Heath,
Austin American Statesman,
3 Mar. 2026
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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 3 Apr. 2026.
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