1
as in denying
to be unwilling to grant
the reclusive movie star usually refuses requests for interviews
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rejecting
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
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 refusing
Strickland then mocked Chimaev for refusing to fight in the parking lot.
—
Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026
Baldoni later accused a trio of other insurers of breach of contract for refusing to cover litigation costs.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 7 May 2026
Bass accused Crowley of leadership failures during the January 2025 windstorm that led to the deadly Palisades Fire, and also accused of refusing to prepare an after-action report on the firefight.
—City News Service, Daily News, 7 May 2026
The senators argue Israel’s evacuation warnings have been used to permanently displace residents and destroy homes, with some civilians killed in subsequent strikes after refusing to evacuate.
—Bassem Mroue, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Even his close ally Rizo voted against him, refusing to tell Ozzy to play his idol.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 7 May 2026
The Australian policy of refusing to allow boat arrivals to settle has largely ended people smuggling from Southeast Asian ports in rickety fishing boats that had once thrived.
—ABC News, 6 May 2026
The same bill also prohibits local governments from refusing to cooperate with ICE agents.
—Aileen Clarke, Houston Chronicle, 6 May 2026
Each time, Banchero was at the center of it, creating offense, absorbing contact and refusing to let the game slip entirely out of reach.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026
Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026
Baldoni later accused a trio of other insurers of breach of contract for refusing to cover litigation costs.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 7 May 2026
Bass accused Crowley of leadership failures during the January 2025 windstorm that led to the deadly Palisades Fire, and also accused of refusing to prepare an after-action report on the firefight.
—City News Service, Daily News, 7 May 2026
The senators argue Israel’s evacuation warnings have been used to permanently displace residents and destroy homes, with some civilians killed in subsequent strikes after refusing to evacuate.
—Bassem Mroue, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Even his close ally Rizo voted against him, refusing to tell Ozzy to play his idol.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 7 May 2026
The Australian policy of refusing to allow boat arrivals to settle has largely ended people smuggling from Southeast Asian ports in rickety fishing boats that had once thrived.
—ABC News, 6 May 2026
The same bill also prohibits local governments from refusing to cooperate with ICE agents.
—Aileen Clarke, Houston Chronicle, 6 May 2026
Each time, Banchero was at the center of it, creating offense, absorbing contact and refusing to let the game slip entirely out of reach.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refusing
Verb
-
In Uthmeier’s mind, the world is unfairly denying white men careers as head coaches and coffeehouse baristas.—
Scott Maxwell,
Sun Sentinel,
9 May 2026
-
In effectively denying the zoning measures sought by the county, the planning board on Wednesday reversed course on a previous 2018 approval by the same body, though with some different members, of essentially the same county plan.—
Andres Viglucci,
Miami Herald,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Washington and some other states, however, started rejecting licensure applicants or revoking nurses with diplomas from those schools even before the investigation was made public.—
Annie Martin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 May 2026
-
Some families are also rejecting the eye ointment.—
Duaa Eldeib,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Bass defended her administration’s handling of homelessness, pointing to declining homelessness counts and the city’s Inside Safe program, while criticizing Raman’s record on police hiring and past votes against some encampment enforcement measures near schools and other sensitive sites.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
8 May 2026
-
Poverty, lack of transportation to school and mental health struggles contribute to absenteeism and declining enrollment across San Diego County.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Prosecutors accused the trust, which convinced a federal district judge to order a temporary pause in construction, of ignoring claims that the project is needed to bolster national security.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
But three days after withdrawing the lawsuit, Florida sued CMS for a third time, accusing the federal agency of ignoring the state’s public records request related to CMS’ approval of the KidCare expansion.—
Daniel Chang,
Miami Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Refusing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refusing. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
