SPURN Synonyms: 126 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'spurn' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of spurn are decline , refuse , reject , and repudiate . While all these words mean "to turn away by not accepting, receiving, or considering," spurn stresses contempt or disdain in rejection or repudiation. // spurned his overtures of friendship

Q: Where would 'decline' be a reasonable alternative to 'spurn'?

In some situations, the words decline and spurn are roughly equivalent. However, decline often implies courteous refusal especially of offers or invitations. // declined his party's nomination

Q: When could 'refuse' be used to replace 'spurn'?

The words refuse and spurn 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

Q: When would 'reject' be a good substitute for 'spurn'?

The synonyms reject and spurn are sometimes interchangeable, but reject implies a peremptory refusal by sending away or discarding. // rejected the manuscript as unpublishable

Q: When might 'repudiate' be a better fit than 'spurn'?

The meanings of repudiate and spurn 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

spurn 1 of 2

verb

ˈspərn

Definition of spurn

as in to refuse

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

spurn

2 of 2

noun

as in refusal

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of spurn are decline, refuse, reject, and repudiate. While all these words mean "to turn away by not accepting, receiving, or considering," spurn stresses contempt or disdain in rejection or repudiation.

spurned his overtures of friendship

Where would decline be a reasonable alternative to spurn?

In some situations, the words decline and spurn are roughly equivalent. However, decline often implies courteous refusal especially of offers or invitations.

declined his party's nomination

When could refuse be used to replace spurn?

The words refuse and spurn 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 would reject be a good substitute for spurn?

The synonyms reject and spurn are sometimes interchangeable, but reject implies a peremptory refusal by sending away or discarding.

rejected the manuscript as unpublishable

When might repudiate be a better fit than spurn?

The meanings of repudiate and spurn 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

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 spurn

Verb

But the fact that the top two quarterbacks in a recruiting class both spurned blue bloods to stay with rising programs close to home is remarkable. — Sam Khan Jr, New York Times, 30 July 2026 Instead, LeBron spurned not just the Bay but also Cleveland, ignored Miami, and voluntarily took a pay cut for two years to join Myers’ new empire in the City of Brotherly Love. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 24 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 See All Example Sentences for spurn

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurn

Verb

Reuters reported that five migrants who refused to disembark after arriving in Monrovia were flown instead to Equatorial Guinea in Central Africa, where they are held with more than 30 other migrants previously sent there by the US.

— Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
The channel, which is banned inside Iran, refuses to disclose its private donors.

— Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of refuse

Noun

It’s built on depth, high-end baseline talent, and a fundamental refusal to look like a mess when actual game lights turn on.

— Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026
Students who took the stand described a heated exchange over Anthony’s refusal on a rainy spring day to leave a tent that belonged to Metcalf’s team.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of refusal

Verb

Pakistan’s government rejected the allegations over the weekend, saying Khan was examined by doctors from the private hospital and that he could not be taken to Shifa International for security reasons.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
Importantly, the jury's decision is advisory, meaning the ultimate decision rests with the judge, who can accept or reject the conclusions.

— Paulina Likos, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of reject

Noun

The rebuff contributes to the future civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons, in which Rhaenyra battles her half-brother Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) for the seat of power.

— Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 30 July 2026
Despite the Reina Sofía’s many refusals to lend the work to various institutions around the world, its rebuff of the Guggenheim’s request carries a particular sting because the Basque Country has long held that the painting belongs in the place where the depicted tragedy occurred.

— News Desk, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2026

Definition of rebuff

Verb

Watts declined Rolling Stone’s multiple requests for an interview and did not specifically address a majority of questions posed to him in a detailed request for comment.

— Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2026
When first baseman Triston Casas suffered a season-ending injury in May, Devers declined to learn the position despite Boston’s dearth of options.

— Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of decline

Noun

If the human vanishes at the moment of execution, then fraud, repudiation, and abuse all become easier to scale.

— Raj Ananthanpillai, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
The results on Amendment 4 and Amendment 5 marked a stunning repudiation of Republican policy in a state that overwhelmingly elects Republican lawmakers.

— Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of repudiation

Noun

Larger than life, his creation repulses and torments him, and Victor spends the rest of his life both running from it and trying to destroy it.

— Ann Kowal Smith, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
The optical, stop-motion, and puppetry effects alone should make Brain Damage a priority on your watchlist, but Henenlotter’s film excites and repulses on a deeper level.

— Rory Doherty, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2024

Definition of repulse

Browse Nearby Words

spuriousness

spurn

spurned

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Spurn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurn. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of spurn

verb

noun

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

tilde

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes