Definition of refugeenext
as in exile
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 refugee On Tuesday afternoon, an Israeli airstrike in the Jabaliya refugee camp north of the Gaza Strip killed one and injured several others, Gaza's Health Ministry said. — Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2026 That included nearly 3,200 applicants from outside the EU with refugee status, up 64% from the previous year. — Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026 The Oscar winner tells the story of his journey from Vietnamese refugee to ’80s child star to inspiring comeback. — Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026 Born in Romania in 1938, Karmitz arrived in France as a refugee with his family in 1947. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for refugee
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refugee
Noun
  • Muñoz proposed improvements to the Spanish fleet to King Philip IV in hopes of ending his exile to Portuguese India.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The image speaks to a period when his family was headed from Havana to exile in Spain.
    — Jordan Riefe, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • That trial will not proceed while the fugitive remains at large.
    — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The agents mistook the man for the fugitive, the agent told police.
    — Cybele Mayes-Osterman, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The alien spends much of the runtime going by the alias of John Carpenter (Jesus's profession, same initials), and is ultimately betrayed by someone close to him, Helen's sleazy boyfriend Tom (Hugh Marlowe), fulfilling Judas's role in the story.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • In their nine years together, Leigh had often thought of Beck as a kind of charming insectoid alien in a human suit learning Earth customs.
    — Josephine Reisman, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • With expatriates making up nearly 90% of the UAE’s population, remittances are a prize worth billions.
    — Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 24 Sep. 2026
  • First published by Scribner in 1926, The Sun Also Rises follows American journalist Jake Barnes and a circle of expatriates traveling from Paris to Pamplona in the years following the First World War.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Refugee.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refugee. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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