as in rejecting
to show unwillingness to accept, do, engage in, or agree to
fiercely independent, the elderly couple spurned all offers of financial help
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Recent Examples of spurning
When Channing falls head-over-heels for the charismatic Minjae, spurning the overtures of an aggressive local politician, Dahee rallies to her side; both women become ensnared in a beachside town’s blood feuds and class conflicts, danger circling like gulls.
—
Hamilton Cain, Time, 4 Apr. 2026
Waning support for Israel, and increasingly bipartisan disapproval of the war in Iran, has loomed large over the primary elections, with candidates increasingly spurning the support of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and sharpening their criticism of the country.
—Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
The application will test an agency that has promised to speed new gene-editing treatments to patients but has recently come under scrutiny from regulators, executives, and advocates for spurning a string of gene therapies for neurological diseases.
—Jason Mast, STAT, 3 Mar. 2026
Leeds kept pushing, and kept winning the ball back, but for a good half-hour, City kept trying regardless, spurning the opportunity to go long to Antoine Semenyo, who looks a capable target man, but is no Haaland (nobody is).
—Sam Lee, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Bo Bichette spurning the Phillies for the NL East rival New York Mets was akin to a gut punch for the NL East champions.
—CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
After a lengthy standoff, Lane Kiffin finally made a decision on his coaching future by spurning the Ole Miss Rebels and a shot at a national title for the LSU Tigers.
—Andrew McCarty, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2025
People Magazine, spurning millions of sexy dead people, has once again chosen a Sexiest Man Alive.
—Choire Sicha, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
After spurning offers from such interested parties as maitre d’ Craig Susser — who opened his own namesake restaurant in 2011 — Tana sold Dan Tana’s in 2009 to friend Sonja Perencevic, who still runs it.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
Hamilton Cain, Time, 4 Apr. 2026
Waning support for Israel, and increasingly bipartisan disapproval of the war in Iran, has loomed large over the primary elections, with candidates increasingly spurning the support of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and sharpening their criticism of the country.
—Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
The application will test an agency that has promised to speed new gene-editing treatments to patients but has recently come under scrutiny from regulators, executives, and advocates for spurning a string of gene therapies for neurological diseases.
—Jason Mast, STAT, 3 Mar. 2026
Leeds kept pushing, and kept winning the ball back, but for a good half-hour, City kept trying regardless, spurning the opportunity to go long to Antoine Semenyo, who looks a capable target man, but is no Haaland (nobody is).
—Sam Lee, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Bo Bichette spurning the Phillies for the NL East rival New York Mets was akin to a gut punch for the NL East champions.
—CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
After a lengthy standoff, Lane Kiffin finally made a decision on his coaching future by spurning the Ole Miss Rebels and a shot at a national title for the LSU Tigers.
—Andrew McCarty, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2025
People Magazine, spurning millions of sexy dead people, has once again chosen a Sexiest Man Alive.
—Choire Sicha, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
After spurning offers from such interested parties as maitre d’ Craig Susser — who opened his own namesake restaurant in 2011 — Tana sold Dan Tana’s in 2009 to friend Sonja Perencevic, who still runs it.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurning
Verb
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But the system kept rejecting it, saying my Colorado driver license wasn’t from the United States.—
Christopher Elliott,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026
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When Nita rebuffs the advances of the lightweight cad Christophe (who’s Pierre’s brother), that’s the one focused emotion in the movie — a woman rejecting workplace harassment.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Moreover, lawmakers are engaged in budget negotiations, where the House is refusing to fund several of DeSantis’ priorities.—
Gray Rohrer,
Sun Sentinel,
15 May 2026
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Former Representative Elizabeth Holtzman, one of the co-authors, has portrayed the act as a corrective to the moral failure of refusing entry to many Jewish refugees during the Holocaust.—
Annie Hylton,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Black Bear officials cited the program's declining participation rates and finances as the reason.—
Kenny Jacoby,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
-
Sadly, bat populations are declining rapidly in North America.—
The Conversation,
Fortune,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Even the wokest of the wokes are ignoring poor Megan.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
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Our detailed reporting agitated the government, which went from ignoring our existence to breathing down our necks.—
Abraham Jiménez Enoa,
The Dial,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spurning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurning. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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