rejection

noun

ri-ˈjek-shən How to pronounce rejection (audio)
Definition of rejectionnext
1
as in denial
a refusal to confirm the truth of a statement made a flat rejection of the charges against him

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in refusal
an unwillingness to grant something asked for the judge's swift rejection of the lawyer's request for a recess

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in discard
something separated from a group or lot for not being as good as the others that pile is for rejections, and this one is for applications we'll be accepting

Synonyms & Similar 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 rejection The system also moves more than 70 million cubic feet of air per minute to maintain optimal thermal pressure and heat rejection across server bays. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Nov. 2026 Even Trent acknowledged that what legions of online progressives are asking for — the rejection of leaders who just presided over Democratic landslides — is unlikely to happen. — David Weigel, semafor.com, 10 Nov. 2026 He has been unidentified in the press until now, following the judge’s rejection of an injunction last week. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 10 Nov. 2026 The brothers enlisted their best friends as department heads after experiencing several rounds of rejection. — Isabelle Farina, Variety, 9 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rejection
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rejection
  1. denial
  2. refusal
  3. discard
  4. reject
  5. second
  6. cull
Noun
  • And about three-quarters of physicians report that denials have increased over the past five years.
    — Mariska Breland, STAT, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The denial comes as blockchain analytics firms trace billions of dollars in cryptocurrency stolen from Binance through thousands of wallets across multiple blockchains.
    — Jenny Lee, CNBC, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of denial
Noun
  • Below the message, the man included a link to an opinion column from the California Globe, a right-center news outlet according to media watchdog site Media Bias/Fact Check, that criticized Vang for her refusal to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 12 Nov. 2026
  • As a result of his refusal to engage in this element of operational security (opsec), the soldier, Daniel Barton-Kennedy, had his phone hacked, and nude photos of himself were stolen and used as blackmail against him.
    — Cyrus Farivar, ArsTechnica, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of refusal
Noun
  • Pull meat from bones and shred into bite-size pieces; discard chicken skin and bones.
    — Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Salsa in to go cold hold at 52 and 51 degrees, and labeled for discard after two days.
    — NWA Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of discard
Noun
  • All three are crime drama-thrillers, the most exportable and ordered of program types, but all three reject tropes of the genre.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Pollock's rejects were the source material for Bald Eagle, according to Kumar.
    — Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of reject
Noun
  • Segura's first goal of the season came with assists from defender Ryan Porteous — the second of his career — and Leo Walta — his first in his fifth league appearance.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Bears kicker Yousef Obeid had four field goals in the game, including a 37-yarder that tied it at 20 with 32 seconds left.
    — The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of second
Noun
  • Conservationists say a cull wouldn’t work because other sharks would simply move into the area.
    — Tim Backshall, Christian Science Monitor, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The news comes only 24 hours after the streamer underwent a massive cull, laying off around 1,000 employees.
    — Peter White, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of cull

Browse Nearby Words

rejecting
rejection
rejections
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rejection.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rejection. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on rejection

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rejection

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