1
as in denials
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 refusals
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 discards
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 rejections
Under former Commissioner Marty Makary, who resigned last month, several initial rejections were issued to companies seeking to market rare disease drugs and gene therapies.
—
Ed Silverman, STAT, 2 June 2026
Tuesday's rejections bring Polis' veto total for the year to nine, two shy of his single-year record.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 2 June 2026
But the regulation would nonetheless upend USCIS' longstanding policy of interviewing virtually all asylum applicants before making a decision on their claims, allowing for quick rejections of cases where the paper record suggests the applicants did not meet the 1-year deadline.
—Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 1 June 2026
For the next two years, Adamson and Watson struggled through label rejections, an aborted stint opening for Alice Cooper with a mediocre backing band, and some uneven sessions with Roxy Music producer Chris Thomas.
—Ethan Beck, Pitchfork, 30 May 2026
Jerry Mix, the investor who said yes after 73 rejections, believed in physical products and a long time horizon.
—Esha Chhabra, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
All these rejections have origins in the historical flaws and faults of our nation’s history and our systems of education.
—Literary Hub, 21 May 2026
After the script was completed, the pair shopped it around to a variety of studios — though Grazer and Howard found a mountain of rejections at first.
—Sara Belcher, PEOPLE, 14 May 2026
Despite the controversy around recent drug rejections, the pharmaceutical industry appears wary about a shakeup at the top of the FDA.
—Annika Kim Constantino,angelica Peebles, CNBC, 12 May 2026
Ed Silverman, STAT, 2 June 2026
Tuesday's rejections bring Polis' veto total for the year to nine, two shy of his single-year record.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 2 June 2026
But the regulation would nonetheless upend USCIS' longstanding policy of interviewing virtually all asylum applicants before making a decision on their claims, allowing for quick rejections of cases where the paper record suggests the applicants did not meet the 1-year deadline.
—Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 1 June 2026
For the next two years, Adamson and Watson struggled through label rejections, an aborted stint opening for Alice Cooper with a mediocre backing band, and some uneven sessions with Roxy Music producer Chris Thomas.
—Ethan Beck, Pitchfork, 30 May 2026
Jerry Mix, the investor who said yes after 73 rejections, believed in physical products and a long time horizon.
—Esha Chhabra, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
All these rejections have origins in the historical flaws and faults of our nation’s history and our systems of education.
—Literary Hub, 21 May 2026
After the script was completed, the pair shopped it around to a variety of studios — though Grazer and Howard found a mountain of rejections at first.
—Sara Belcher, PEOPLE, 14 May 2026
Despite the controversy around recent drug rejections, the pharmaceutical industry appears wary about a shakeup at the top of the FDA.
—Annika Kim Constantino,angelica Peebles, CNBC, 12 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rejections
Noun
-
Too many Californians face denials, excessive prior authorization requirements, or complete lack of coverage for these treatments.—
Karen R. Studer,
Sacbee.com,
1 June 2026
-
Republicans suspect Bankhead will essentially cede the race to Bodnar (despite her denials), which would make the general election more competitive.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
The performance lives in tiny hesitations, fleeting glances and emotional refusals.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
-
Judge Panici, visibly frustrated with Talley’s refusals to answer his questions, ordered Talley held in custody until then.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This is a creative process whereby discards are cleaned and sent to factory, where they are cut, re-shaped and sewn into a new end product.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
18 May 2026
-
The vast majority of those discards wind up in the trash, further exacerbating the avocado’s environmental impact.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Her fans, many sporting sheer red gloves, cat ears and varying levels of undress, were eager to be sated and reacted as if their souls were being saved within seconds of the start of each of the 23 songs Grande performed.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
7 June 2026
-
The fact that Prince can paint such a bleak, gripping story in 90 seconds is one for the ages.—
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson,
VIBE.com,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
Meanwhile, resistance to AI applications is growing in the world’s second-largest economy as worker fears of mass job culls rise.—
Semafor Events,
semafor.com,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Livestock breeders, who have seen their flocks decimated by mass culls due to an outbreak of sheep and goat pox, have joined the protests, which began in November.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Today, there are hundreds of rejects packed in wood cabinets and cardboard boxes.—
Steve Hartman,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
In it, Jackson Lamb (Oldman), River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) and the rest of the MI5 rejects are on the case — and a bit on the defense.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rejections.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rejections. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
