Thesaurus results for REFUGEE

refugee

noun

ˌre-fyu̇-ˈjē

Definition of refugee

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

Relevance

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 Today, roughly 1 million live in what has become the world's largest refugee settlement, with 200,000 more elsewhere in the country. — Lorcan Lovett, NPR, 25 Aug. 2026 Separately, the Palestinian Health Ministry in the West Bank said a 14-year-old in the Askar refugee camp in Nablus was shot dead by Israeli forces, which did not immediately comment. — Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026 Has a county government spent any tax dollars recently on flying refugees from Texas to Connecticut? — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2026 Men who worked at the automobile factories donated their paychecks to help Palestinian refugees. — Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for refugee

Recent Examples of Synonyms for refugee

Noun

This film weaves that footage with new images of his exile, a poetic documentary essay that refuses the urgency of breaking news.

— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
Minotaur, with its veiled criticism of Putin and Zvyagintsev’s status in exile, is in similar terrain to Panahi’s film.

— Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of exile

Noun

Police in Medellin, Colombia, arrested Hernandez in July 2025 after learning Interpol issued a Red Notice, an international alert notifying law enforcement to hold a wanted fugitive.

— Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
His mother, Rachel Moser, 56, was charged with hindering the apprehension of a fugitive, obstruction, abuse of a corpse and conspiracy.

— Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of fugitive

Noun

And didn’t Hal’s hunch help expose an alien that not only looked exactly like a human male, but also passed an X-ray without sending up any red flags?

— Ben Travers, IndieWire, 16 Aug. 2026
The older Green Lantern taunted the alien so much, that the creature detonated itself, blowing a hole into the side of the jail.

— Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 16 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

See all Nearby Words

Articles Related to refugee

Cite this Entry

Style

“Refugee.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refugee. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of refugee

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Must an 'Immigrant' Also Be an...

The Origin of 'Refugee'

Word of the Year Retrospective

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on refugee

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

cogent

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes