How to Use refusal in a Sentence

refusal

noun
  • My request for more money was met with a flat refusal.
  • Call it the beauty of the refusal, the beauty of saying no more.
    Laura Tanenbaum, The New Republic, 17 May 2023
  • Her refusal to let the kids stay with me and my partner has forced me to take her to court.
    Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 26 Feb. 2023
  • Some mentioned the protests over De León’s refusal to step down.
    David Lautersenior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2023
  • And the teachers’ refusal to make even modest changes to the contract in 2018 with Elorza is what laid the groundwork for the state takeover.
    BostonGlobe.com, 15 Nov. 2022
  • There was refusal to comply in terms of handing things over.
    CBS News, 22 Jan. 2023
  • Just this year Patek Philippe switched to a campaign that more strongly asserts the brand’s refusal to feed trends.
    Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 3 May 2024
  • What does the law do? Broadly, the new law gives tenants a right of first refusal on whether to renew their lease or not.
    Seth Klamann, The Denver Post, 19 Apr. 2024
  • But Tom’s complete refusal to be fan un-favorite has, in many ways, ruined the show.
    Bethy Squires, Vulture, 30 May 2024
  • China blamed the refusal on U.S. sanctions against Mr. Li.
    Vivian Wang, New York Times, 19 July 2023
  • Now, though, that refusal to confront the past is being challenged.
    New York Times, 24 July 2022
  • Later, the teams with the highest pick in the draft who did not make a coaching change were given first right of refusal to spend the week in Mobile.
    Creg Stephenson | Cstephenson@al.com, al, 1 Feb. 2023
  • He was named along with the spirit of Ukraine in honor of the nation's refusal to back down in the face of Russian aggression.
    Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 8 Feb. 2023
  • Cube confirmed in November that his refusal to get the shot cost him a $9 million movie role.
    Zack Sharf, Variety, 5 Dec. 2022
  • The very idea might prompt feelings of denial, refusal, a type of disbelief.
    Hanif Abdurraqib, The New Yorker, 29 June 2023
  • Lujan Grisham pushed back on the refusal to enforce the order.
    Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN, 12 Sep. 2023
  • The inning, though, showed fight and a stubborn refusal to slink away empty-handed.
    Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 May 2024
  • Mayorkas, 64, now faces two charges from the House: willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law and breach of public trust.
    Kyler Alvord, Peoplemag, 14 Feb. 2024
  • Stoppard seems to place himself there, along with the Merzes, whose refusal to believe the worst led them directly to it.
    Jesse Green, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2022
  • Current owners have the right of first refusal when a cottage in the co-op becomes available.
    WSJ, 11 Aug. 2022
  • Her refusal to raise her voice seems to have lent her more authority.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 18 Sep. 2024
  • The global icon attributes her post-prison success to her refusal to let her time in jail define her.
    Lynsey Eidell, Peoplemag, 28 Jan. 2024
  • His refusal to be inducted to the Army during the Vietnam War, on moral and religious grounds, had pushed him out of the ring for 43 months.
    Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2024
  • In my view, the true nakba of the Arabs is their refusal to accept peaceful coexistence and get on with life.
    Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 17 May 2024
  • The atomic bomb is the answer, said Truman, to Japan’s refusal to surrender.
    Merrie Monteagudo, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Aug. 2023
  • Despite this refusal to cede the land, uranium mines have dotted the landscape for decades.
    Graham Lee Brewer, NBC News, 23 Mar. 2023
  • Among the sticking points is GM’s refusal to let workers go on strike over plans to close factories, Pierce said.
    Tom Krisher, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2023
  • Any right of first refusal clause was news to Village officials.
    Hank Beckman, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2023
  • Since the baffling refusal was discovered, users have been trying to find ways to get the chatbot to say the name or explain who the mystery man is.
    Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 2 Dec. 2024
  • Even with its lack of confidence in the first half and a stubborn refusal to evolve its dress-up systems, Infinity Nikki captivates the imagination.
    Josh Broadwell, Rolling Stone, 4 Dec. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'refusal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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