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
Others, however, suggested that the school’s refusal was less about the quality of the cakes and more about policy.
—
Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
This 'polite verbal wrestling' (Rafiee, 1991) involves a delicate dance of offer and refusal, insistence and resistance, which shapes everyday interactions in Iranian culture, creating implicit rules for how generosity, gratitude, and requests are expressed.
—ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2025
Democrats and some economists have described Miran’s presence on the Fed board and refusal to resign from CEA as clear violations of the bank’s independence.
—Sylvan Lane, The Hill, 22 Sep. 2025
Chevron and Hess prevailed with their argument that Exxon’s right of first refusal over Hess’ Guyana stake did not apply to an acquisition of Hess in its entirety.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for refusal
Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
This 'polite verbal wrestling' (Rafiee, 1991) involves a delicate dance of offer and refusal, insistence and resistance, which shapes everyday interactions in Iranian culture, creating implicit rules for how generosity, gratitude, and requests are expressed.
—ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2025
Democrats and some economists have described Miran’s presence on the Fed board and refusal to resign from CEA as clear violations of the bank’s independence.
—Sylvan Lane, The Hill, 22 Sep. 2025
Chevron and Hess prevailed with their argument that Exxon’s right of first refusal over Hess’ Guyana stake did not apply to an acquisition of Hess in its entirety.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for refusal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refusal
Noun
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Combining rigorous research and captivating narration, Kateryna Zarembo debunks common myths about the region, such as its long-standing gravitation towards Russia and its rejection of everything Ukrainian.—
Nelly Klos
September 29,
Literary Hub,
29 Sep. 2025
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Named after the island’s Indigenous name, Rapa Nui, the drug rapamycin was initially developed as an immunosuppressant to prevent organ transplant rejection and to improve the efficacy of stents to treat coronary artery disease.—
Ted Powers,
The Conversation,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Rebholz wrote about the application denial in a December 2022 post on the NCA website.—
Cathy Kozlowicz,
jsonline.com,
26 Sep. 2025
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Because Snopes and Live Science contacted NTU separately and reached the same denial, the claim fails basic verification tests, which is not a minor error but a core authenticity issue.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Refusal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refusal. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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