variants
also refusnik
as in refuser
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Recent Examples of refusenik
Instead, Elam became a refusenik, as conscientious objectors are called in Israel, over his disapproval of the Israel-Hamas war.
—
Jade Walker, CNN, 25 Mar. 2025
After getting a secret greenlight in March 1990, Mr. Reichmann was aboard his private plane to Lithuania to pick up refusenik Raiz and his son.
—Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 10 Jan. 2023
When the Soviet Union lifted its ban on the Jewish refusenik emigration in 1971, my family saw their opportunity to start over in America.
—Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2022
Vaccine mandates by large companies and government agencies, many of them imposed at President Biden’s behest, seem to be working—without vaccine-refusenik workers quitting en masse, as threatened.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 1 Oct. 2021
Can the host forbid entry or try to make a refusenik toe the line?
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2021
If the refusal to sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge was sure to earn the Republican refusenik a potent primary challenge from the right, a denying Trump’s election lies as a gospel truth will likely lead to the same punishment.
—Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 7 July 2021
Natan Sharansky has been a computer scientist, a chess player, a refusenik, a dissident, a political prisoner, a party leader, a government minister, a nonprofit executive, and a bestselling author.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 28 Nov. 2020
Nor does everyone feel oppressed by celebrity; all that star-maker machinery has to get stoked with something, and for every Dylanesque refusenik in the world there are ten thousand volunteers for fame.
—Jonathan Dee, The New Yorker, 29 June 2020
Jade Walker, CNN, 25 Mar. 2025
After getting a secret greenlight in March 1990, Mr. Reichmann was aboard his private plane to Lithuania to pick up refusenik Raiz and his son.
—Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 10 Jan. 2023
When the Soviet Union lifted its ban on the Jewish refusenik emigration in 1971, my family saw their opportunity to start over in America.
—Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2022
Vaccine mandates by large companies and government agencies, many of them imposed at President Biden’s behest, seem to be working—without vaccine-refusenik workers quitting en masse, as threatened.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 1 Oct. 2021
Can the host forbid entry or try to make a refusenik toe the line?
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2021
If the refusal to sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge was sure to earn the Republican refusenik a potent primary challenge from the right, a denying Trump’s election lies as a gospel truth will likely lead to the same punishment.
—Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 7 July 2021
Natan Sharansky has been a computer scientist, a chess player, a refusenik, a dissident, a political prisoner, a party leader, a government minister, a nonprofit executive, and a bestselling author.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 28 Nov. 2020
Nor does everyone feel oppressed by celebrity; all that star-maker machinery has to get stoked with something, and for every Dylanesque refusenik in the world there are ten thousand volunteers for fame.
—Jonathan Dee, The New Yorker, 29 June 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refusenik
Noun
-
The discontent flared once again this week when eagle-eyed fans noticed a plot hole involving friend to the main cast Lisa Todd Wexley (Nicole Ari Parker).—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
8 July 2025
-
Rather than groans of discontent at their Rio de Janeiro neighbours causing the biggest upset of the tournament so far, however, there was singing.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
The Houthis paused attacks until the U.S. launched a broad assault against the rebels in mid-March.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
8 July 2025
-
Shortly after that, Israeli airstrikes on Iranian weapons shipments to Hezbollah across neighboring Syria — at the time, a key ally of Iran — weakened the dictatorship of President Bashar al-Assad, who was overthrown last December by rebels.—
James Hider,
NPR,
7 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Refusenik.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refusenik. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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