How to Use refusal in a Sentence

refusal

noun
Definition of refusalnext
Synonyms for refusalnext
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • After several spats with their fellow campmates and refusal to do a challenge, the pair tried to quit the game three times.
    — Emma Kershaw, Peoplemag, 26 Apr. 2023
  • Republicans’ refusal to see the facts right in front of them is a clear sign of how much influence Trump still has over the party.
    — Tori Otten, The New Republic, 27 July 2023
  • Her refusal to hold the trial in private meant that the men accused of raping her haven’t been able to cower behind closed doors, protected from public view.
    — Claire Cohen, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2024
  • The Harris campaign has seized on Trump's refusal to release his medical records so far and his unwillingness to debate Harris a second time.
    — Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 17 Oct. 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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