as in refuses
to show unwillingness to accept, do, engage in, or agree to
fiercely independent, the elderly couple spurned all offers of financial help
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Recent Examples of spurns
Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
Verb
As the President insults allies, woos dictators, and spurns long-standing commitments, Rubio has to convince his counterparts that America will not entirely abandon its friends.
—Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurns
Verb
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Russia demands Ukraine cede eastern territory and renounce NATO membership; Kyiv refuses to surrender land without security guarantees.—
Jamey Keaten,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
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The New York mayor acknowledges that tax hikes are painful but refuses to meaningfully cut spending.—
Editorial Board,
Washington Post,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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My child automatically rejects paying for parking, especially when there are other options.—
Harvey Levine,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
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Hunter-Torricke rejects these criticisms.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Badgett added that vitamin D production may also decrease as kidney function declines with age, especially in older adults with chronic kidney disease.—
Maggie O'Neill,
Verywell Health,
23 Feb. 2026
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The estrogen hormone naturally declines with age and when levels drop during menopause, symptoms can surge.—
Jacqueline Howard,
CNN Money,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But focusing exclusively on the external threat from Iran ignores the internal threat Netanyahu’s government poses to Israel and its standing as a rule-of-law democracy and unified society.—
Thomas L. Friedman,
Mercury News,
21 Feb. 2026
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Calling this anything less than professional education ignores the training, regulation, and expertise the role requires.—
David Kilmnick,
New York Daily News,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spurns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurns. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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