Definition of refugeenext
as in exile
a person forced to emigrate for political reasons refugees began returning to their homeland after years of political unrest and war

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of refugee From 2022 to 2024, Zanemonets ministered to Ukrainian war refugees in the Orthodox Church of Finland. — Cnn Staff, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2026 The rescissions would block $567 million appropriated for Health and Human Services programs for refugees, asylees and other non-citizens and $28 million for HHS research. — Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2026 Most of the cuts are focused on services for immigrants, including nonprofits that serve refugees and unaccompanied minors accused of being in the country illegally. — ABC News, 25 Sep. 2026 The organization notes that many of its employees have been refugees and tailors in their previous countries. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for refugee
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refugee
Noun
  • Many of the dissidents who once did this kind of work inside Cuba are now in exile or in prison.
    — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Born to Cuban exiles, Salazar presides over Florida’s 27th Congressional District, which includes Miami’s famous Little Havana neighborhood.
    — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The agents mistook the man for the fugitive, the agent told police.
    — Cybele Mayes-Osterman, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Machado is considered a fugitive by Venezuelan authorities, who accuse her of calling for foreign military intervention.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • In their nine years together, Leigh had often thought of Beck as a kind of charming insectoid alien in a human suit learning Earth customs.
    — Josephine Reisman, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
  • He is charged with voting by an alien in a federal election and false statement of citizenship in order to vote.
    — Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • With expatriates making up nearly 90% of the UAE’s population, remittances are a prize worth billions.
    — Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 24 Sep. 2026
  • First published by Scribner in 1926, The Sun Also Rises follows American journalist Jake Barnes and a circle of expatriates traveling from Paris to Pamplona in the years following the First World War.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Refugee.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refugee. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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