refusal
noun
re·fus·al
ri-ˈfyü-zəl 
1
: the act of refusing or denying
2
: the opportunity or right of refusing or taking before others
Synonyms
Examples of refusal in a Sentence
My request for more money was met with a flat refusal.
his flat refusal of our reasonable request was rather startling
Recent Examples on the Web
Trump, a Republican, left office in 2021 as a political pariah after his refusal to accept his loss to Democrat Joe Biden led a mob to overrun the U.S. Capitol; he was impeached on a charge of inciting an insurrection.
—
Michelle L. Price and Will Weissert, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2025
Trump, a Republican, left office in 2021 as a political pariah after his refusal to accept his loss to Democrat Joe Biden led a mob to overrun the Capitol.
—Michelle L. Price, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2025
What to watch: Trump is considering an executive order delaying enforcement of the TikTok ban to give the administration time to find a U.S. buyer, despite ByteDance's refusal to sell for the past eight months.
—Zachary Basu, Axios, 18 Jan. 2025
Framing your limits around priorities rather than refusal helps preserve trust and professionalism.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for refusal 
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.
Michelle L. Price and Will Weissert, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2025
Trump, a Republican, left office in 2021 as a political pariah after his refusal to accept his loss to Democrat Joe Biden led a mob to overrun the Capitol.
—Michelle L. Price, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2025
What to watch: Trump is considering an executive order delaying enforcement of the TikTok ban to give the administration time to find a U.S. buyer, despite ByteDance's refusal to sell for the past eight months.
—Zachary Basu, Axios, 18 Jan. 2025
Framing your limits around priorities rather than refusal helps preserve trust and professionalism.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for refusal
Dictionary Entries Near refusal
Cite this Entry
“Refusal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refusal. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
refusal
noun
re·fus·al
ri-ˈfyü-zəl
1
: the act of refusing or denying
2
: the opportunity or right of refusing or taking (as a purchase) before others
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share