as in rejections
an unwillingness to grant something asked for
his flat refusal of our reasonable request was rather startling
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Recent Examples of refusals
Some went to court to challenge government refusals to authorize pickets, while others scaled them back to smaller indoor gatherings.
—
ABC News, 21 Mar. 2026
Care refusals aren’t a new phenomenon.
—Laura Ungar, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026
Most families decide to get it, said Felton, who has seen no uptick in refusals.
—CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026
Israel’s campaign may aim to undermine the morale of Basijis and prompt defections or refusals to serve.
—Sarah El Deeb, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Missile crews are reportedly reluctant to leave cover, desertions are increasing, refusals to obey orders are surfacing, and American and Israeli forces continue hunting launchers daily.
—Richard Goldberg, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
French President Emmanuel Macron blasted tech company executives of social media platforms over refusals to limit or restrict speech.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 19 Feb. 2026
Conversation starters → Guy Fieri, a chef famous for trying everything, has revealed a few firm food refusals.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 19 Feb. 2026
Medical staff were ordered to make sure all refusals of medical treatment were made directly to them and documented.
—Christopher Damien, USA Today, 1 Feb. 2026
ABC News, 21 Mar. 2026
Care refusals aren’t a new phenomenon.
—Laura Ungar, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026
Most families decide to get it, said Felton, who has seen no uptick in refusals.
—CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026
Israel’s campaign may aim to undermine the morale of Basijis and prompt defections or refusals to serve.
—Sarah El Deeb, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Missile crews are reportedly reluctant to leave cover, desertions are increasing, refusals to obey orders are surfacing, and American and Israeli forces continue hunting launchers daily.
—Richard Goldberg, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
French President Emmanuel Macron blasted tech company executives of social media platforms over refusals to limit or restrict speech.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 19 Feb. 2026
Conversation starters → Guy Fieri, a chef famous for trying everything, has revealed a few firm food refusals.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 19 Feb. 2026
Medical staff were ordered to make sure all refusals of medical treatment were made directly to them and documented.
—Christopher Damien, USA Today, 1 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refusals
Noun
-
The partial rejections were issued March 9 by EPA administrator Lee Zeldin, who agreed with the environmental group that the six air permits were insufficient.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Gnecco said getting rejections from potential partners and having a business concept that everyone may not understand doesn’t make life as a company executive easy.—
Michael Butler,
Miami Herald,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Quickly afterward, though, came the denials from Iran about talks, while Iran's semiofficial Fars and Tasnim news agencies portrayed the American president as backing down.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The footage doesn’t exactly paint Timberlake in the best light, particularly considering his staunch denials that he was intoxicated.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Refusals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refusals. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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