spurned

verb

past tense of spurn
as in rejected
to show unwillingness to accept, do, engage in, or agree to fiercely independent, the elderly couple spurned all offers of financial help

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 spurned After LeBron James spurned them in free agency and Dunleavy unexpectedly addressed the idea of Curry departing, some pundits mused about the possibility. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 28 Aug. 2026 No mob godfather has ever been as terrifying as Roscoe Conkling spurned by Chester Arthur in the back of that carriage. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2026 Johnson, the East Moline Democrat who spurned membership on the working group, noted it was constituted by lawmakers who had publicly spoken out in support of Welch in the fallout over his handling of the Benton scandal. — Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026 Many fans were furious that the Royals spurned the many possible trade partners. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 4 Aug. 2026 Teams LeBron spurned, including the Heat and Timberwolves, have seen players like Bam Adebayo and Anthony Edwards playfully vow to challenge him. — Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 But a brief meeting led to a connection between the quarterbacks and set in motion one of the most surprising flips in recruiting history when the five-star prospect spurned Georgia at the 11th hour for Vanderbilt. — Sam Khan Jr, New York Times, 30 July 2026 Nearly a decade ago, a city task force spurned proposals to ease those restrictions to foster housing development north of Fifth along Washington, said Mooney, who is retiring from the city effective July 31. — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026 And many of the best and brightest scientists and researchers spurned by America are going to other countries and are hired by businesses abroad that compete with our own—including, as Lee anticipated, China. — Robert Hormats, Time, 4 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurned
  1. rejected
  2. refused
  3. declined
  4. ignored
Verb
  • Days before the execution attempt, Lee rejected the clemency request.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Attacks on ships transiting the strait have increased since Iran's proposal was rejected.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of rejected
Verb
  • Burnham has refused to rule out tax hikes, and the British press is reporting that windfall taxes targeting banks might be on the table.
    — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Iran has continued to attack some tankers shuttling oil through the strait – but those could be ships that refused to pay a toll, Brouhard suggested.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of refused
Verb
  • The local district attorney declined to seek criminal charges, but the criminal case was reopened after the lawsuit was filed.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The campaign for the Democratic nominee for governor, David Jolly, declined to comment on what the new opinion meant for the Hope Florida saga.
    — Liv Caputo, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of declined
Verb
  • The shame lies with the governments who ignored the AIDS crisis and the stigma that was around people and the innate prejudice that was in society.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
  • It is enabled by a culture where consent and accountability are ignored.
    — Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of ignored

Browse Nearby Words

spurn
spurned
spurning
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Cite this Entry

“Spurned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurned. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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