refugee

noun

ˌre-fyu̇-ˈjē How to pronounce refugee (audio)
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 There’s the protocol refugee, taking 14 supplements, two experimental injectables, and a roster of peptides discovered on Reddit. — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 8 Aug. 2026 Some generated images of a nuclear plant in Iran, or refugees near the Mexico-US border. — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026 Though people with refugee status and asylum seekers who do not have green cards have also lost SNAP under new federal rules, these groups do not qualify. — Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2026 Authorities are investigating whether the suspect knew Ross through their work supporting refugees in Greece. — Elinda Labropoulou, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for refugee
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refugee
  1. exile
  2. fugitive
  3. alien
  4. expatriate
Noun
  • While Homer followed warriors sailing home from Troy, the playwright Euripides — writing some three centuries later — turned to the city’s ruins and its women, forced into exile and enslavement.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Attacks could draw retaliation and reignite Yemen’s war Yemen’s civil war began in 2014 when the rebels seized the capital, Sanaa, and much of northern Yemen, forcing the government into exile.
    — Fatma Khaled, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of exile
Noun
  • Narez later fled the country and remained a fugitive for nearly three decades, authorities said.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Maria Narez, now 48, has been a fugitive since she was indicted in 1999, according to the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office.
    — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of fugitive
Noun
  • Speaking of Sugar’s caseload, Season 2’s improvements are evident beyond the inevitable advantages of outing him as an alien.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2026
  • How can a journalist get grip on a community when they’re hired and then flee, get fired, or become the victim of a space alien abduction?
    — Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of alien
Noun
  • Likewise, the Relief Procedures for Certain Former Citizens provides a pathway for eligible former citizens with minimal tax liability to resolve outstanding filing obligations without becoming covered expatriates.
    — Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • His success in the States landed him on the Israeli reality series The Americans, which follows Israeli expatriates chasing the American dream in the United States.
    — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 24 July 2026
Definition of expatriate

Browse Nearby Words

refuged
refugee
refugees
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Cite this Entry

“Refugee.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refugee. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on refugee

Nglish: Translation of refugee for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about refugee

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