Synonyms of refugees

refugees

noun

plural of refugee

as in exiles

a person forced to emigrate for political reasons

refugees began returning to their homeland after years of political unrest and war

Synonyms & Similar Words

• exiles
• fugitives
• aliens
• émigrés
• evacuees
• expatriates
• deportees
• patriots
• expats
• outcasts
• loyalists
• pariahs
• castoffs

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of refugees

The village’s daily rhythms are ordered by the passing trains—until a train arrives from Pakistan loaded with the corpses of Sikh refugees, and the community is made to cremate the dead. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026

Generations later, Palestinian refugees scattered through the region and around the world still keep the keys. — Jane Arraf, NPR, 26 July 2026

Others carried cardboard monarch butterflies, a colorful symbol associated with the migration journeys of immigrants and refugees. — Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2026

The monkeys were likely both refugees from the booming population of rhesus macaques widespread in Silver Springs State Park, which is roughly 50 miles away, and surrounding areas. — Rylan Digiacomo-Rapp, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 July 2026

The flag is tattered not just due to age, but also because refugees cut pieces of the flag as keepsakes. — Kaitlyn Harvey, AJC.com, 23 July 2026

Czech nonprofits initially scrambled to provide these refugees with housing, education and other essential support. — Tara Kolar Bryan, The Conversation, 22 July 2026

In other areas, refugees are actively repaying the hospitality of host communities, as in the case of Malians who fled to neighboring Mauritania. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 21 July 2026