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
His embrace of Trump‘s endorsement and refusal to admit that Joe Biden legitimately won the 2020 presidential election expose him as a toady.
—
Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
The announcement came a week after Beale withdrew a separate proposal in Gardner following resident opposition and the city’s refusal to offer tax incentives.
—Ian Cummings, Kansas City Star, 13 May 2026
Liberal influencers are publicly questioning Martin’s refusal to release an internal report on the party’s failures.
—Steve Peoples, Twin Cities, 13 May 2026
His works’ refusal to adhere to rational ways of thinking is intentional.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for refusal
Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
The announcement came a week after Beale withdrew a separate proposal in Gardner following resident opposition and the city’s refusal to offer tax incentives.
—Ian Cummings, Kansas City Star, 13 May 2026
Liberal influencers are publicly questioning Martin’s refusal to release an internal report on the party’s failures.
—Steve Peoples, Twin Cities, 13 May 2026
His works’ refusal to adhere to rational ways of thinking is intentional.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for refusal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refusal
Noun
-
Florida Gators athletic director Scott Stricklin may not have realized it in December, but losing Lane Kiffin to LSU could eventually look less like a rejection and more like a fortunate escape.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 May 2026
-
Not as punishment or as a rejection of the technology, but as a deliberate change of pace.—
Illia Smoliienko,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
The filing includes email correspondence between the PTPA and the two federations, detailing the denials.—
Ava Wallace,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
-
The denial of Ukrainian political and cultural independence is grounded in the ideas of Russkiy mir.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Refusal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refusal. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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