refusenik

variants also refusnik

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 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
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
  • But by the time the ban was slated to finally kick in, many of those same lawmakers had changed their tune following popular discontent over the looming loss of the app.
    Angela Yang, NBC news, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Some have taken to TrustPilot to share glowing reviews about their experiences and the philanthropic network Robinson created, but others left the initiative, citing discontent with his methods.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The rebels, led by Deepak Rauniyar and Binod Paudel, fired off a scathing letter to the Academy demanding a full investigation and threatening to blow up Nepal’s Oscar dreams entirely.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Sep. 2025
  • Directed by the iconic Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another stars DiCaprio as Bob Ferguson, a vigilante and former rebel who is on the run from Penn's Officer Steven Lockjaw.
    Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Refusenik.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refusenik. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!