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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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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Recent Examples of refused
James Ward, USA Today, 15 May 2026
Since 2008, Medicare has refused to reimburse hospitals for the additional cost of treating many infections that develop after admission.
—Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Meanwhile, the city of San Diego refused to issue permits, contending the project of 139 hotel rooms and 75 apartments above ground-floor shops is not legal as proposed.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 May 2026
Anthropic refused to give a Chinese think tank access to its new AI model, Mythos, The New York Times reported.
—Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 15 May 2026
Despite blowing a triple zero on the breathalyzer, Woods refused a urinalysis, leading to the arrest.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 15 May 2026
Tortorella refused to talk to the media after Vegas' 5-1 Game 6 win over the Anaheim Ducks.
—Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026
The commander in chief, in particular, has griped that NATO countries have refused America the use of bases in the Middle East from which to launch strikes on Iran.
—Haris Alic, The Washington Examiner, 15 May 2026
Organizations that refused would be expelled.
—Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 15 May 2026
Verb
California officials have flatly refused.
—James Ward, USA Today, 15 May 2026
Since 2008, Medicare has refused to reimburse hospitals for the additional cost of treating many infections that develop after admission.
—Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Meanwhile, the city of San Diego refused to issue permits, contending the project of 139 hotel rooms and 75 apartments above ground-floor shops is not legal as proposed.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 May 2026
Anthropic refused to give a Chinese think tank access to its new AI model, Mythos, The New York Times reported.
—Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 15 May 2026
Despite blowing a triple zero on the breathalyzer, Woods refused a urinalysis, leading to the arrest.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 15 May 2026
Tortorella refused to talk to the media after Vegas' 5-1 Game 6 win over the Anaheim Ducks.
—Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026
The commander in chief, in particular, has griped that NATO countries have refused America the use of bases in the Middle East from which to launch strikes on Iran.
—Haris Alic, The Washington Examiner, 15 May 2026
Organizations that refused would be expelled.
—Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 15 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refused
Verb
-
The general director of visual arts at Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance—Mahdizadeh Tehrani— denied that the state ever withdrew from the exhibition this year, and said the country still hopes to take part in some capacity.—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
13 May 2026
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For example, don’t spend the entire conversation complaining about a past boss who denied your PTO request, McGoff says.—
Sophie Caldwell,
CNBC,
13 May 2026
Verb
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The comments came two weeks after the House rejected DeSantis’ push to pass bills to expand vaccine exemptions for children entering public schools and to install consumer-friendly regulations on artificial intelligence products and companies.—
Gray Rohrer,
Sun Sentinel,
15 May 2026
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Bianco launched a voter‑fraud investigation after a local group claimed the county counted roughly 46,000 more ballots than were received, a claim election officials rejected.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Yolo County’s homeless population declined slightly over the past two years, but nearly two-thirds of the people counted in January were living outdoors as county leaders considered millions of dollars in cuts to the services many rely on.—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
16 May 2026
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Nearby homeowner Mike, who declined to provide his last name and lost his home in the 2017 Tubbs Fire, said the changing weather is a reminder of how quickly fire danger can escalate.—
Da Lin,
CBS News,
16 May 2026
Verb
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The state dashboard and local improvement plans Brown touted are singled out for criticism in the report, essentially validating concerns that reformers had voiced but were ignored.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
14 May 2026
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In an April statement, the union said the company ignored its March 18 letter and several requests by phone, asking to lift the lockout and allow members to return to work while negotiations continue.—
Maya Wilkins,
Chicago Tribune,
14 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
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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 19 May. 2026.
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