REFUSES Synonyms: 125 Similar and Opposite Words

refuses

verb

present tense third-person singular of refuse

as in denies

to be unwilling to grant the reclusive movie star usually refuses requests for interviews

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in rejects

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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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 refuses For Wilder residents, the La Catedral raid remains an open wound that refuses to heal. — Philip Wang, Time, 19 Oct. 2026 After that, Grace all but disappears from Crystal Lake, exposing the haphazard plotting of a show that refuses to commit. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026 That ending In the film, Bela refuses to let Other Mommy into her heart, per the demon’s constant request. — William Earl, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026 Jackie is one reason the earlier book refuses to become a simple brief for more voluntary family. — Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026 The South Korean announcement came days after its President Lee Jae Myung threatened to take unspecified punitive steps if Ukraine refuses to apologize over the revelation. — ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026 The Duke of Sussex has already reunited with his father King Charles on multiple occasions, but William reportedly refuses to be in the same room as Harry. — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 6 Oct. 2026 The woman explained that without a body, the man’s mother refuses to accept his death. — Nathan Jaccard, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026 This would also explain why Cyrus refuses to acknowledge Adam’s higher rank or support his decision to reenlist en route to another promotion. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for refuses

Verb

Islamabad has repeatedly accused Afghanistan's Taliban government of providing sanctuary to TTP militants, an allegation Kabul denies.

— ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
Rights groups have, however, accused the country of sportswashing to cover up its reputation for silencing critics, including accusations of killings and disappearances, allegations the government denies.

— Damian Zane, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of denies

Verb

Any strategy that ignores that skepticism is unlikely to survive the next election or to be funded by the Congress that is likely to emerge from it.

— Philip H. Gordon, Foreign Affairs, 12 Oct. 2026
But the unbridled embrace of aquaculture as a sustainable answer to feeding the planet ignores some very real costs.

— Ian Urbina, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of ignores

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refusers

refuses

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

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Synonyms of refuses

verb

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