as in to refuse
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in refusal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of spurn
Bill Madden, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2025
Granted, this would require Higgins to spurn the Bengals on a long-term deal, which could still happen.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 19 Feb. 2025
Respondents who expected a provisional truce or war believe that Israelis and Palestinians will not reach a permanent peace either because the concessions needed are spurned by the opposing side or are too painful to contemplate by one or both sides.
—Scott Atran, Foreign Affairs, 14 Feb. 2025
Many high-end chocolatiers use fresh fruit or nuts, and spurn preservatives that might compromise flavor or texture.
—Matthew Korfhage, WIRED, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spurn
Verb
On the other hand, the Yankees, after being spurned by Soto, turned around and invested $218 million in Max Fried, a legitimate ace (when healthy), giving them four starters, along with Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and most recently Luis Gil, who have all pitched like No. 1’s during their careers.
—Bill Madden, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2025
Granted, this would require Higgins to spurn the Bengals on a long-term deal, which could still happen.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 19 Feb. 2025
Respondents who expected a provisional truce or war believe that Israelis and Palestinians will not reach a permanent peace either because the concessions needed are spurned by the opposing side or are too painful to contemplate by one or both sides.
—Scott Atran, Foreign Affairs, 14 Feb. 2025
Many high-end chocolatiers use fresh fruit or nuts, and spurn preservatives that might compromise flavor or texture.
—Matthew Korfhage, WIRED, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spurn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurn
Verb
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The panel of House and Senate members argued over whether to punish the universities for their DEI initiatives — diversity, equity and inclusion — or whether to reward the schools for recent actions, like refusing to compete with a volleyball team with a transgender athlete.—
Carolyn Komatsoulis,
Idaho Statesman,
2 Apr. 2025
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The retro approach has been years in the making, with Trump refusing to back down in the face of a tumbling stock market and public recriminations from the United States’ top allies.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
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With his occasionally brusque manner, his maniacal secrecy about team selection and his refusal to explain his tactical decisions, Luis Enrique put a few noses out of joint in the French media.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
-
King’s relentless advocacy and refusal to accept the status quo made the U.S. Open the first major tournament to offer equal prize money in 1973.—
Kim Elsesser,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Superior Court Judge Craig Collins from neighboring Gaston county also rejected it after Tench’s friends and family — his mother, sister and aunts — submitted and read aloud letters underlining the effect Tench’s disappearance and apparent death have had.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 2025
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There are plenty of glaring examples, such as Steve Jobs and Google being rejected by some of the world’s most renowned VCs (https://www.bvp.com/anti-portfolio).—
Dileep Rao,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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A number of people there have already been impacted or fear what might happen, including a teacher whose students will have fewer opportunities, a business owner who is uncertain how to plan and several senior citizens worried about declining income in their retirement.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2025
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Despite these extraordinary gains, recent research published in PNAS Nexus highlights two deeply perplexing contradictions in women’s psychological well-being: the paradox of declining female happiness and the paradox of the contented female worker.—
Ximena Araya-Fischel,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The concern about the bank’s future is heightened as the second Trump administration doubles down on its repudiation of climate projects and promotes an accelerated expansion of U.S. oil and gas projects.—
Max Bearak,
New York Times,
25 Feb. 2025
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America’s repudiation of its traditional foreign policy is being driven by both Trump’s particular obsessions and wider geopolitical changes.—
Stephen Collinson,
CNN,
22 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Larger than life, his creation repulses and torments him, and Victor spends the rest of his life both running from it and trying to destroy it.—
Ann Kowal Smith,
Forbes,
16 Dec. 2024
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The optical, stop-motion, and puppetry effects alone should make Brain Damage a priority on your watchlist, but Henenlotter’s film excites and repulses on a deeper level.—
Rory Doherty,
Vulture,
19 Sep. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Spurn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurn. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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