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
Democrats, including Newsom, are blaming the shutdown on Republicans’ refusal to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies, which fund in-state healthcare for low-income people.
—
Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2025
The Supreme Court’s refusal to take up the case marks a second high-profile legal defeat for Kobach this week.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2025
Turner credits his success to his refusal to chase fleeting trends.
—Wyles Daniel, AZCentral.com, 2 Oct. 2025
At the heart of the shutdown is an insistence by Democrats that the stopgap bill must include a provision to extend the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, and a refusal by Republicans to include the credits in government funding negotiations.
—Al Weaver, The Hill, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for refusal
Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2025
The Supreme Court’s refusal to take up the case marks a second high-profile legal defeat for Kobach this week.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2025
Turner credits his success to his refusal to chase fleeting trends.
—Wyles Daniel, AZCentral.com, 2 Oct. 2025
At the heart of the shutdown is an insistence by Democrats that the stopgap bill must include a provision to extend the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, and a refusal by Republicans to include the credits in government funding negotiations.
—Al Weaver, The Hill, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for refusal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refusal
Noun
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But those early rejections didn’t destroy their confidence.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
5 Oct. 2025
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This over-enthusiasm can backfire, leading to rejection.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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For Avraham Burg, an author and former speaker of Israel’s parliament who has become a prominent critic, what lies behind this state of denial in many Jewish Israelis goes far beyond media influence.—
Zeena Saifi,
CNN Money,
5 Oct. 2025
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After weeks of obfuscation and denial, the Chinese government suddenly shut down the city of Wuhan and surrounding regions to contain the novel coronavirus outbreak.—
Yangyang Cheng,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Refusal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refusal. Accessed 12 Oct. 2025.
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