refugees

plural of refugee
as in exiles
a person forced to emigrate for political reasons refugees began returning to their homeland after years of political unrest and war

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 refugees Allen now oversees client intake and employment support, helping refugees find jobs and navigate cultural and language barriers. Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2025 Almost none of the refugees had been permitted to read or write on the plantation, and thus the precise nuance of their feelings is lost to time. Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025 Sophie Carson is a general assignment reporter who reports on religion and faith, immigrants and refugees and more. Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 17 Oct. 2025 The law excludes asylum seekers, refugees and other immigrants from SNAP, and expands work requirements to include parents of teens age 14 and older and adults under age 65 — previously the cutoff was 55. Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 17 Oct. 2025 Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghan refugees over decades of war, though has moved to expel many of them in recent years, citing the risk of terrorism. Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2025 Core questions—borders, sovereignty, refugees—are deferred. Mohammed R. Mhawish, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025 People, including Afghan refugees leaving Pakistan, were turned away due to the worsening security situation. NPR, 12 Oct. 2025 Migrants and refugees passing through the country when trying to reach Europe have also faced dire conditions. Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refugees
Noun
  • Today, Venezuela has the largest population of exiles in the Americas and the second largest in the world after Syria — despite not being in a civil war — with more than 8 million people living abroad.
    Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Six years later, he was assigned to be a pastor at a church in Bay Ridge, where the pews, once occupied by Norwegian immigrants, were filling up with Arab Christians, many of them Palestinian exiles.
    Eric Lach, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The evacuees are now being sheltered in temporary tents as authorities assess structural safety and continue emergency response efforts.
    Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Another notice is on the hunt for fire relief volunteers who help fire evacuees.
    Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The social-media ban cut off many of these expatriates from their families.
    Kapil Komireddi, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
  • Some parents are concerned that tuition fees for international schools in Kenya could rise further with the arrival of more expatriates in the country.
    Martin K.N Siele, semafor.com, 5 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Refugees.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refugees. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

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