nays

noun

plural of nay
1
as in noes
a vote or decision against something when the votes were tallied, it was 241 yeas and 54 nays

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2
as in refusals
an unwillingness to grant something asked for gave a resounding nay to the request for a mixed-company camping trip

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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 nays And on July 2, after the arrival of British forces in New York lent the proceedings new urgency, Congress did, in fact, declare independence—with a vote of 12 yeas, 0 nays, and 1 abstention. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 July 2026 With Cornyn not on the floor, the vote for more than 25 minutes was stuck at 56 ayes and 40 nays, with three other GOP senators, Rick Scott of Florida, Wisconsin’s Ron Johnson and Mike Lee of Utah, not voting, for unclear reasons. — Emily Wilkins,dan Mangan, CNBC, 10 Nov. 2025 Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced the decision following an endorsement from the Chamber of Deputies and a Senate vote that saw 76 ayes, five nays and 35 abstentions. — Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nays
  1. noes
  2. refusals
  3. vetoes
  4. rejections
  5. denials
Noun
  • Near daybreak, when the Senate did call for the vote to adjourn, Lee and others objected with hearty nos.
    — Lisa Mascaro, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026
  • While that effort went down with a wider margin, 84 nos and 17 yeses, a dozen Republicans supported it, revealing the extent of unease over the issue within the Senate GOP conference.
    — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 4 June 2026
Definition of noes
Noun
  • During an internal cyber evaluation, OpenAI models operating with reduced cyber refusals were given no direct internet access.
    — Bob Ackerman, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Ajax is designed to be less restrictive Kjellberg is also deliberately changing how Ajax handles refusals.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of refusals
Noun
  • The proposal out of Paris and Berlin would erect safeguards against those vetoes so the Commission could act faster.
    — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The vetoes came on what was the final day the governor could sign or reject bills that passed in the Legislature this year.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of vetoes
Noun
  • The court has deferred a decision on the lease and sublease rejections until a hearing Wednesday.
    — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Proposals that could affect the budget were denied, according to the union, with many rejections coming at the last minute.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of rejections
Noun
  • Roy, who has been part of negotiations since 2014, said he’s never seen denials like that before.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Collins followed up Ossoff’s presidential ambition denials on the debate stage by claiming the Democrat is playing the long game and would ultimately seek the White House.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of denials

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nay
nays
naysayer
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Cite this Entry

“Nays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nays. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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