1
as in to deny
to be unwilling to grant
the reclusive movie star usually refuses requests for interviews
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to reject
to show unwillingness to accept, do, engage in, or agree to
she refused the award, citing the hard work of others who deserved the recognition more than she did
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in garbage
discarded or useless material
refuse had littered the playground until our volunteer group cleaned it up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in discarded
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of refuse
Mark Osborne, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2025
But Lee, now 35, refused to be defined by his diagnosis.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025
Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2025
This follows its Protect Our Beaches campaign, in partnership with Oceanic Global, that conducts regular beach cleanups removing more than one million pounds of refuse from shorelines around the country.
—Ramsey Qubein, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2025
Cement mixers, roll-off and dump trucks, which all share a common architecture, will be built first, followed by refuse trucks and terminal tractors.
—Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 7 Dec. 2023
See All Example Sentences for refuse
Verb
Kneeland allegedly refused to stop and troopers pursued the vehicle until losing sight of the vehicle and stopping the chase, officials said.
—Mark Osborne, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2025
But Lee, now 35, refused to be defined by his diagnosis.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
Spoiled by the chefs in the test kitchen, at times my pile was more kitchen scraps than yard refuse.
—Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2025
This follows its Protect Our Beaches campaign, in partnership with Oceanic Global, that conducts regular beach cleanups removing more than one million pounds of refuse from shorelines around the country.
—Ramsey Qubein, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Officials with the city’s Bureau of Sanitation said the existing trash fees have not been generating enough money to cover the true cost of refuse collection.
—David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2025
Cement mixers, roll-off and dump trucks, which all share a common architecture, will be built first, followed by refuse trucks and terminal tractors.
—Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 7 Dec. 2023
See All Example Sentences for refuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refuse
Verb
-
Despite vocal support from Aspire Capitol Heights families and a concerted effort from school leaders to prove that the school’s fiscal and academic issues could be solved, the board voted 4-1 to deny the school’s charter renewal.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
8 Nov. 2025
-
My mother has been denied access to medical care, the right to speak, and every basic human freedom.—
Kim Aris,
Time,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
And the British nations, as ever, remained aloof, England rejecting a late offer to step in for Austria.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Democrats are pushing to extend soon-to-expire health care tax credits and reverse earlier Medicaid cuts, but Republicans have rejected those proposals.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The burger was never refrigerated and spent most of its life in cupboards, garbage bags and sheds.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Beijing — When Ho Puay-peng first visited Beijing’s Forbidden City in the late 1980s, the Singaporean architect saw many of the historic courtyards used for storage, filled with garbage, and occupied by danwei (government offices).—
Fred He,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
In another development, researchers in the US developed a new method that could turn discarded data center hardware into a reliable, eco-friendly source of rare earths and valuable metals.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
In a social media video, Madi said her father's health declined in the months following an early-stage prostate cancer diagnosis.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The Administration submitted an emergency filing to the Supreme Court after an appeals court declined to block the injunction.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The same is true of Guiteau’s eventual imprisonment and trial, which aren’t ignored but barely touch on the wackiness that actually ensued.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Nov. 2025
-
There were extremely rich philosophical traditions in the non-Western world that your great books classes completely ignore.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Gas and dust fall into a rotating disk around the black hole, and as the debris spirals more rapidly, it becomes superheated, releasing intense radiation.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
However, do not compost plant debris and soil of plants that had pest and disease issues, but dispose of it in the trash.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Wayne’s body was found by a passing driver in a northeast Aurora field littered with trash and debris one month after she was last seen alive, with her clothes and purse were strewn about the area, according to the affidavit.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Refuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refuse. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share