as in rejection
an unwillingness to grant something asked for
his flat refusal of our reasonable request was rather startling
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Recent Examples of refusal
That refusal culminated in the siege of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, that left Pence huddled with police in a parking garage.
—
Jim Martin, IndyStar, 4 July 2025
Simply put, this symbolism represented political defiance and a refusal to surrender.
—Julian Randall, Essence, 3 July 2025
Related: George Russell on Aston Martin's Radar Despite Pledging Loyalty to Mercedes
Despite Verstappen's refusal to part ways with Red Bull last year, Russell confirmed that Mercedes is still interested in having the Dutch driver on board.
—Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025
Each witness stated Cassie did not want the police involved, with security corroborating Cassie's refusal to call law enforcement officials.
—Lauryn Overhultz , Tracy Wright , Kirill Clark, FOXNews.com, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for refusal
Jim Martin, IndyStar, 4 July 2025
Simply put, this symbolism represented political defiance and a refusal to surrender.
—Julian Randall, Essence, 3 July 2025
Related: George Russell on Aston Martin's Radar Despite Pledging Loyalty to Mercedes
Despite Verstappen's refusal to part ways with Red Bull last year, Russell confirmed that Mercedes is still interested in having the Dutch driver on board.
—Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025
Each witness stated Cassie did not want the police involved, with security corroborating Cassie's refusal to call law enforcement officials.
—Lauryn Overhultz , Tracy Wright , Kirill Clark, FOXNews.com, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for refusal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refusal
Noun
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The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that a legislative committee's rejection of a ban on conversion therapy was unconstitutional.—
Anna Kleiber,
jsonline.com,
8 July 2025
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Despite having a degree, Pal has faced rejections for jobs ranging from Uber corporate to local restaurant management. ¨A bachelor’s degree is just not enough,¨ Pal said.—
Sami Khan,
Mercury News,
7 July 2025
Noun
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In the newest chapter in the struggle to preserve Oak Flat, currently a campground about 60 miles east of Phoenix, grassroots group Apache Stronghold asked the Supreme Court to reconsider its past denial and agree to hear what many religious leaders call a pivotal religious rights case.—
Debra Utacia Krol,
AZCentral.com,
13 July 2025
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That denial was corroborated by Secret Service documents, the report found.—
July 13,
CBS News,
13 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Refusal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refusal. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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