1
as in to deny
to be unwilling to grant
the reclusive movie star usually refuses requests for interviews
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to reject
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
as in garbage
discarded or useless material
refuse had littered the playground until our volunteer group cleaned it up
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in discarded
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of refuse
Scott Neuman, NPR, 25 Feb. 2025
Frame refuses to bask in her exceptionalism, her almost miraculous escape.
—Audrey Wollen, The New Yorker, 25 Feb. 2025
Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024
Austin's refuse collection department is jettisoning its biannual brush and bulk collections for an on-demand model.
—Asher Price, Axios, 31 Oct. 2024
Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 7 Dec. 2023
Everything is tightly regulated in Rwanda, from refuse management to social organization.
—Noo Saro-Wiwa, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for refuse
Verb
Other political parties in Germany have refused to work with the AfD. But after elections held on Sunday, the AfD has now become the second-largest party, a significant political shift.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 25 Feb. 2025
Frame refuses to bask in her exceptionalism, her almost miraculous escape.
—Audrey Wollen, The New Yorker, 25 Feb. 2025
Noun
The new container rules aim to eliminate the piles of refuse that provide sustenance for up to three million New York rats each year.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024
Austin's refuse collection department is jettisoning its biannual brush and bulk collections for an on-demand model.
—Asher Price, Axios, 31 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Cement mixers, roll-off and dump trucks, which all share a common architecture, will be built first, followed by refuse trucks and terminal tractors.
—Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 7 Dec. 2023
Everything is tightly regulated in Rwanda, from refuse management to social organization.
—Noo Saro-Wiwa, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for refuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refuse
Verb
-
Many criticized his decision as a capitulation to Donald Trump, though Bezos denied those claims.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
28 Feb. 2025
-
Their findings paint a more complicated picture, one that her mother has denied.—
Brian Brant,
People.com,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Never the favorite of his party's professional advisers, Merz was twice rejected as Merkel's successor as party leader, in 2018 and 2021, before his doggedness won out in 2022.—
Thomas Escritt,
USA TODAY,
24 Feb. 2025
-
Today, far-right parties like the AfD seek to embrace a different model that rejects political integration in favor of an economic union along the lines of earlier, postwar integration.—
TIME,
TIME,
23 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Crews wearing hazmat suits shoveled mounds of ash into plastic garbage bags.—
Tony Briscoe,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2025
-
Hegseth calls new names 'garbage' Hegseth already signaled his intention to revert the original, Confederate names of two bases.—
Tom Vanden Brook,
USA TODAY,
11 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
That era began in the late 1960s, blazed in the '70s, stayed on pace in the '80s, and survived in an unevenly declining way through Tucker, Mike Huckabee, Mike Beebe... Subscribe to continue reading, or log in.—
John Brummett,
arkansasonline.com,
18 Feb. 2025
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The average home price in the six-county region declined 0.4% from December to $862,115 in January, according to Zillow, marking the sixth consecutive month of declines.—
Andrew Khouri,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
And no, not because Disney is ignoring him or passing him over.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes,
1 Mar. 2025
-
But in the 1990s, when social practice art was gaining traction within European museums (especially in the United Kingdom), most Latin American institutions were ignoring that development, which remained limited to underground networks.—
Fabiola Iza,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Even if the garage door is open, don't start a vehicle if the garage is attached to a home. Furnace and fireplaces: Keep fireplaces clean and in good condition, make sure no debris is blocking the vents or chimney.—
Sara Moniuszko,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2025
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Residents who live near local landfills say the wildfire debris should be sent to hazardous waste landfills instead.—
Tony Briscoe,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Boaters, scouts, civic organizations, environmental groups, businesses and individual volunteers are encouraged to help clean up the St. Johns River by removing trash and debris.—
Joe Rassel,
Orlando Sentinel,
19 Feb. 2025
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The city has also canceled trash and bulky items pickup for Tuesday and Wednesday ahead of the snowfall.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This anti-waste brand upcycles materials, and was founded by Kisa Sky Shiga.—
Nadja Sayej,
Forbes,
20 Dec. 2022
-
Fanning out like urban guerrillas through Paris’ darkened streets well after midnight, the anti-waste activists shinny up walls and drain pipes, reaching for switches to turn off the lights. Click.—
The Christian Science Monitor,
The Christian Science Monitor,
3 Aug. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Refuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refuse. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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