refused 1 of 2

adjective

as in rejected

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refused

2 of 2

verb

past tense of refuse
1
as in denied
to be unwilling to grant the reclusive movie star usually refuses requests for interviews

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in declined
to show unwillingness to accept, do, engage in, or agree to she refused the award, citing the hard work of others who deserved the recognition more than she did

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 refused
Adjective
Eight were transported to a local hospital and four refused transport. — Greta Cross, USA Today, 3 June 2026
Verb
Immigration officials have defended the shooting, saying Belgal refused to exit the vehicle and the agent didn't know there was a child in the backseat. — Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026 Allegedly, King Charles has urged Harry and William to make amends, but William has refused. — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 13 Oct. 2026 The woman, who also reported it to the league, alleged that Jackson refused to delete the video and taunted her with it. — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026 In 2020, Mexico requested to borrow the headdress for an exhibition, but Austrian officials refused to do so, citing the object’s fragility as the reason. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 12 Oct. 2026 Janice refused, and, for the next few weeks, Ahmed’s account was dark. — Ben Taub, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 Burnham has refused to rule out tax hikes, and the British press is reporting that windfall taxes targeting banks might be on the table. — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026 Iran has continued to attack some tankers shuttling oil through the strait – but those could be ships that refused to pay a toll, Brouhard suggested. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026 Sirianni took the fall and refused to pin the blame solely on new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion. — ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refused
  1. vetoed
  2. denied
  3. rejected
  4. stopped
  5. declined
  6. ignored
Adjective
  • The Zach Werenski situation spiraled into a vetoed trade to the Stars, then settled.
    — Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • The vetoed bills aimed to create a regulated retail market, new oversight bodies, public health and equity programs, and a rollout schedule for licensing, regulations, and enforcement.
    — Dario Sabaghi, Forbes.com, 21 May 2026
Definition of vetoed
Verb
  • In a 2024 interview with TIME, Netanyahu denied making the statement, insisting that the payments were meant to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 18 Oct. 2026
  • German authorities blamed that on Russia, an allegation denied by Moscow.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of denied
Verb
  • Days before the execution attempt, Lee rejected the clemency request.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Attacks on ships transiting the strait have increased since Iran's proposal was rejected.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of rejected
Adjective
  • The girl with a backpack on could be seen crossing the street while looking at her phone before the stopped truck began moving beside her, in videos obtained by ABC station WPVI and CBS station KYW.
    — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The crash drew a crowd from the stopped traffic, who quickly spread photos and videos of the driver on social media.
    — Irene Wright, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of stopped
Verb
  • The Prime Minister’s office declined to comment for this story.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Authorities declined to say how many former fighters had signed up.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of declined
Verb
  • That got ignored, as indicated by the five salmon packages, sitting in the walk-in cooler, still in the packaging and defrosted.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The Villa Borghese is full of ancient marble statues, which Leo largely ignored.
    — Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of ignored

Browse Nearby Words

refuse
refused
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Cite this Entry

“Refused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refused. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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