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
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Recent Examples of refuse
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
Keisha Rowe, Louisville Courier Journal, 1 Oct. 2025
But our industry—and artists around the world—have a long history of refusing to be silenced, even in the darkest times.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 1 Oct. 2025
Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 3 July 2025
Garbage/refuse containers not covered as required. PHYSICAL FACILITIES INSTALLED, MAINTAINED AND CLEAN: Employee clothing/possessions not stored properly.
—Gege Reed, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for refuse
Verb
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
Noun
Senate Democrats and Republicans have been mired in a bitter dispute over a government funding bill, with Democrats refusing to sign on unless changes were made to certain health care policies, including Medicaid and subsidies provided by the Affordable Care Act.
—Keisha Rowe, Louisville Courier Journal, 1 Oct. 2025
But our industry—and artists around the world—have a long history of refusing to be silenced, even in the darkest times.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Trash has overwhelmed cities, and incinerating the refuse can release toxic material into the environment, van Hees said.
—Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 3 July 2025
Garbage/refuse containers not covered as required. PHYSICAL FACILITIES INSTALLED, MAINTAINED AND CLEAN: Employee clothing/possessions not stored properly.
—Gege Reed, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for refuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refuse
Verb
-
Republicans argue Democrats want to fund health care for immigrants in the country illegally, a claim Democrats deny.—
Todd Spangler,
Freep.com,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Once there, she was assigned a bare mattress on the floor and denied religious accommodations, including Halal meals, her lawyers said.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The letter also called for the return of mandatory standardized testing in university admissions and for universities to report the anonymous scores and grades of accepted and rejected students.—
Helen Rummel,
AZCentral.com,
2 Oct. 2025
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In a June ruling, a three-judge Kansas Court of Appeals panel rejected Kobach’s arguments in no uncertain terms.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Those three garbage-time scores might have bought him another week.—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
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Some Waukesha residents voice concerns The city hasn't kept its $160 garbage and tax collection proposal a secret.—
Jim Riccioli,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 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
-
And some items, though limited, have seen prices decline, including Graeter’s Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip ice cream, Montgomery Inn’s full rack of ribs, Pringles potato chips and Red and Blue Bicycle Playing cards (though a standard deck has risen 11% in line with the overall index.—
Alexander Coolidge,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Netflix has declined to comment on Musk’s campaign.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The collapse of water security in Iran has been decades in the making and is rooted in a mania for megaprojects—dam building, deep wells, and water transfer schemes—that ignored the fundamentals of hydrology and ecological balance.—
Nik Kowsar,
Time,
2 Oct. 2025
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Pierre LeBrun’s viewpoint Arpon, no doubt the Hughes contract injects a fresh comparable into the discussion that neither the Canadiens nor the Hutson camp can ignore, though using comparables always seems to be in the eye of the beholder.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Do not burn debris or other items during an air quality alert.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The fee, which would fully pay the contractual costs tied to Johns Disposal Service, would exclude condominiums and commercial properties who already pay for private trash removal services and are not covered by the city's collection service.—
Jim Riccioli,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
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An army of around 200 volunteers from the church and several charities were making food, picking up trash, guiding guests and MC'ing dance showcases, said Mary Cantrell, who has been a key organizer since 1993.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Refuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refuse. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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