as in rejection
an unwillingness to grant something asked for
his flat refusal of our reasonable request was rather startling
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Recent Examples of refusal
That refusal culminated in the siege of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, that left Pence huddled with police in a parking garage.
—
Jim Martin, IndyStar, 4 July 2025
Simply put, this symbolism represented political defiance and a refusal to surrender.
—Julian Randall, Essence, 3 July 2025
Related: George Russell on Aston Martin's Radar Despite Pledging Loyalty to Mercedes
Despite Verstappen's refusal to part ways with Red Bull last year, Russell confirmed that Mercedes is still interested in having the Dutch driver on board.
—Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025
Each witness stated Cassie did not want the police involved, with security corroborating Cassie's refusal to call law enforcement officials.
—Lauryn Overhultz , Tracy Wright , Kirill Clark, FOXNews.com, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for refusal
Jim Martin, IndyStar, 4 July 2025
Simply put, this symbolism represented political defiance and a refusal to surrender.
—Julian Randall, Essence, 3 July 2025
Related: George Russell on Aston Martin's Radar Despite Pledging Loyalty to Mercedes
Despite Verstappen's refusal to part ways with Red Bull last year, Russell confirmed that Mercedes is still interested in having the Dutch driver on board.
—Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025
Each witness stated Cassie did not want the police involved, with security corroborating Cassie's refusal to call law enforcement officials.
—Lauryn Overhultz , Tracy Wright , Kirill Clark, FOXNews.com, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for refusal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refusal
Noun
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Losing a job, or facing creative rejection, is a very real type of grief that doesn’t always get depicted as grief.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
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Despite the constant rejection, Van-Der-Sluis seems determined to find the love of his life.—
Allison DeGrushe Published,
EW.com,
26 June 2025
Noun
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Even under ideal conditions, restaurants operate on the tightest of margins, and these denials have been a death knell for some.—
Sofia Perez,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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In collaboration with the firm’s Civil Law Reform Unit and pro bono partners, the team also brings class action lawsuits to enjoin federal immigration policies, such as the denial of relief.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
29 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Refusal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refusal. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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