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reject

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noun

1
as in outcast
one who is cast out or rejected by society was the school reject as a child and has low self-esteem even today

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in discard
something separated from a group or lot for not being as good as the others that apple has a mushy spot on it, so it's a reject

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word reject different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of reject are decline, refuse, repudiate, and spurn. While all these words mean "to turn away by not accepting, receiving, or considering," reject implies a peremptory refusal by sending away or discarding.

rejected the manuscript as unpublishable

When might decline be a better fit than reject?

While in some cases nearly identical to reject, decline often implies courteous refusal especially of offers or invitations.

declined his party's nomination

When would refuse be a good substitute for reject?

The words refuse and reject are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, refuse suggests more positiveness or ungraciousness and often implies the denial of something asked for.

refused to lend them the money

When could repudiate be used to replace reject?

The meanings of repudiate and reject largely overlap; however, repudiate implies a casting off or disowning as untrue, unauthorized, or unworthy of acceptance.

teenagers who repudiate the values of their parents

When is it sensible to use spurn instead of reject?

Although the words spurn and reject have much in common, spurn stresses contempt or disdain in rejection or repudiation.

spurned his overtures of friendship

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of reject
Verb
The high court also rejected a case involving a ban on high-capacity magazines in the District of Columbia. Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 7 June 2025 The next idea, being that the plaintiff should be allowed to voluntarily dismiss the infringing cause of action after the special motion was filed, was similarly rejected. Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
Noun
Instead of letting the weird baking mixes or seasonings go to waste, team up with your partner or roommates and make an Iron Chef style meal of the rejects. Grace McCarty, SELF, 28 Dec. 2024 Led by the foul-mouthed and fouler-smelling Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), the team of rejects consists of River Cartwright (Jack Lowden), Roddy Ho (Christopher Chung), Louisa Guy (Rosalind Eleazar) and Catherine Standish (Saskia Reeves) among others including newcomer, J.K. Coe (Thomas Brooke). Erik Kain, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for reject
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reject
Verb
  • Paul was severely ill, so he was excused from appearing, but Vladimir was taken away by the Bolsheviks after refusing to renounce his father.
    Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 June 2025
  • The Mullahs in Tehran refused to dismantle their nuclear program.
    Anna Commander Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025
Verb
  • The university in January 2024 denied Tucker’s appeal of the findings.
    Kenny Jacoby, USA Today, 4 June 2025
  • Small business owners should not be denied access to their customers because of the government’s desire to place unnecessary restrictions on commerce.
    Julian Canete, Oc Register, 4 June 2025
Verb
  • The ruling Liberal Democratic Party contends that opening royal status to commoners is just one step down a path that will ultimately lead to the abandonment of patrilineal legitimacy, ultimately discarding the sacred Y chromosome.
    Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 8 June 2025
  • Maggie's phone was discovered discarded beside the road outside the gates of the estate. Feb. 2, 2023: Footage emerges of Murdaugh in two different outfits on the night of the murder Evidence surfaced that Murdaugh changed his clothes at some point in the evening.
    Julie Tremaine, People.com, 7 June 2025
Verb
  • The April 11 ruling came during a hearing in Maryland, where a Justice Department attorney declined to provide basic details about Abrego Garcia’s whereabouts.
    Chantelle Lee, Time, 7 June 2025
  • Full-time workers declined by 623,000, while part-timers rose by 33,000.
    Jeff Cox, CNBC, 6 June 2025
Noun
  • The two were considered outcasts, and Edward VII only met with his brother King George a few times after his abdication, briefly and without his wife.
    Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 7 June 2025
  • Interviewed by The Times in 2022 about her musical, Ms. Sobule emphasized that her goal was to reach a broad audience of people who felt like outcasts.
    Hank Sanders, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Noun
  • But the first lady's office squashed those rejection rumors for her son last week.
    Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 2 June 2025
  • The founder who avoids raising prices fears rejection.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
Verb
  • Security camera footage, however, refuted his story, according to the court documents.
    Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2025
  • Yet a source close to the contract negotiations, who requested anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic, refuted that claim.
    Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2025
Verb
  • Credential dumps from breached companies are traded daily on the dark web.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
  • To stay on the show, each Islander must couple up with another Islander or risk being dumped from the villa.
    EW.com, EW.com, 5 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Reject.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reject. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.

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