variants
also refusnik
as in refuser
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Recent Examples of refusenik
Instead, Elam became a refusenik, as conscientious objectors are called in Israel, over his disapproval of the Israel-Hamas war.
—
Jade Walker, CNN, 25 Mar. 2025
After getting a secret greenlight in March 1990, Mr. Reichmann was aboard his private plane to Lithuania to pick up refusenik Raiz and his son.
—Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 10 Jan. 2023
Can the host forbid entry or try to make a refusenik toe the line?
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2021
Vaccine mandates by large companies and government agencies, many of them imposed at President Biden’s behest, seem to be working—without vaccine-refusenik workers quitting en masse, as threatened.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 1 Oct. 2021
If the refusal to sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge was sure to earn the Republican refusenik a potent primary challenge from the right, a denying Trump’s election lies as a gospel truth will likely lead to the same punishment.
—Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 7 July 2021
Natan Sharansky has been a computer scientist, a chess player, a refusenik, a dissident, a political prisoner, a party leader, a government minister, a nonprofit executive, and a bestselling author.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 28 Nov. 2020
Jade Walker, CNN, 25 Mar. 2025
After getting a secret greenlight in March 1990, Mr. Reichmann was aboard his private plane to Lithuania to pick up refusenik Raiz and his son.
—Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 10 Jan. 2023
Can the host forbid entry or try to make a refusenik toe the line?
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2021
Vaccine mandates by large companies and government agencies, many of them imposed at President Biden’s behest, seem to be working—without vaccine-refusenik workers quitting en masse, as threatened.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 1 Oct. 2021
If the refusal to sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge was sure to earn the Republican refusenik a potent primary challenge from the right, a denying Trump’s election lies as a gospel truth will likely lead to the same punishment.
—Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 7 July 2021
Natan Sharansky has been a computer scientist, a chess player, a refusenik, a dissident, a political prisoner, a party leader, a government minister, a nonprofit executive, and a bestselling author.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 28 Nov. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refusenik
Noun
-
The uniform of the conformist — sports shirt, cardigan, tennis shoes — is as easily recognized as that of the recusant — dirty white T, sideburns, two days’ growth of beard.—
Chris Jones,
chicagotribune.com,
15 July 2019
Noun
-
Forget the summer of love; this has been the summer of our grumbling discontent.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Widespread protests force Indonesia U-turn Indonesia was engulfed by widespread protests driven by economic discontent and opposition to police brutality, marking the greatest challenge yet to President Prabowo Subianto’s government.—
Brendan Ruberry,
semafor.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The New York Times in 2015 reported that hundreds of Colombian mercenaries had been sent to Yemen to fight against the Houthi rebels, hired directly — and in secret — by the UAE.—
Rebecca Johns,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Tapping into your inner rebel as of late, Sagittarius?—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Refusenik.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refusenik. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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