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 The Chinese American star joined his parents and eight siblings on a harrowing emigration from South Vietnam to a Hong Kong refugee camp in 1978, three years after the Vietnam War ended. — Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026 The owner, Monyta Oung, survived genocide in Cambodia and made a life as a refugee in Rhode Island. — Sean Carlson, Travel + Leisure, 15 Sep. 2026 No God But Us is very much a book about Afghan refugees who are trying to forge a future amidst great displacement. — Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026 Hannah Congdon’s short doc The Long Away Game tells the story of a female Afghan refugee soccer player finding a home and community in Yorkshire, England. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for refugee
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refugee
Noun
  • She has been banned from traveling abroad since 2009 and is unable to join her husband and two children who live in exile in France.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026
  • She has been banned from traveling abroad since 2009, and is unable to join her husband and two children who live in exile in France.
    — Amir-Hussein Radjy, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • With Poland effectively sealed off and her own life now in danger, she is forced into hiding and becomes a hunted fugitive, navigating a city transformed by fear, political repression and violence.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Our one scene in the Sampson camp this week finds the congressman’s wife, Elspeth, warning him that having embraced Major Reacher, who is now a fugitive, in front of the press is a crisis that could tank his presidential aspirations.
    — Chris Klimek, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • 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
  • The hero cop and the villainous alien are telling Hal the same thing?
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 13 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • 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
  • More than 30,000 expatriates had registered with Fly&Vote, an initiative helping Israelis arrange election travel, which has already secured seven dedicated flights to Israel.
    — Deborah Danan, Sun Sentinel, 8 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Refugee.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refugee. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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