nays

noun

plural of nay
1
as in noes
a vote or decision against something when the votes were tallied, it was 241 yeas and 54 nays

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2
as in refusals
an unwillingness to grant something asked for gave a resounding nay to the request for a mixed-company camping trip

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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 nays And on July 2, after the arrival of British forces in New York lent the proceedings new urgency, Congress did, in fact, declare independence—with a vote of 12 yeas, 0 nays, and 1 abstention. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 July 2026 With Cornyn not on the floor, the vote for more than 25 minutes was stuck at 56 ayes and 40 nays, with three other GOP senators, Rick Scott of Florida, Wisconsin’s Ron Johnson and Mike Lee of Utah, not voting, for unclear reasons. — Emily Wilkins,dan Mangan, CNBC, 10 Nov. 2025 Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced the decision following an endorsement from the Chamber of Deputies and a Senate vote that saw 76 ayes, five nays and 35 abstentions. — Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nays
  1. noes
  2. refusals
  3. vetoes
  4. rejections
  5. denials
Noun
  • Near daybreak, when the Senate did call for the vote to adjourn, Lee and others objected with hearty nos.
    — Lisa Mascaro, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026
  • While that effort went down with a wider margin, 84 nos and 17 yeses, a dozen Republicans supported it, revealing the extent of unease over the issue within the Senate GOP conference.
    — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 4 June 2026
Definition of noes
Noun
  • Shirley lingered in parking lots and asked to enter childcare centers, taking refusals as evidence that the centers weren’t actually caring for children.
    — Mia Sato, The Verge, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The character is written to be very likable and worthy of respect, and Jodie Whittaker brings a really effective extra oomph of warmth and humor to her performance that makes her consistent refusals to accept Kate’s proposals even more striking.
    — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of refusals
Noun
  • The proposal out of Paris and Berlin would erect safeguards against those vetoes so the Commission could act faster.
    — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The vetoes came on what was the final day the governor could sign or reject bills that passed in the Legislature this year.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of vetoes
Noun
  • Long before launch, the team faced obstacles that nearly thwarted the endeavor — chiefly, two rejections from NASA — before finally securing the green light for the $1 billion project under the New Frontiers Program in 2011.
    — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • An impasse was called in early September, in part, after SEIU Local 1000 expressed frustrations about mass proposal rejections.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of rejections
Noun
  • Roy, who has been part of negotiations since 2014, said he’s never seen denials like that before.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Collins followed up Ossoff’s presidential ambition denials on the debate stage by claiming the Democrat is playing the long game and would ultimately seek the White House.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of denials

Browse Nearby Words

nay
nays
naysayer
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Cite this Entry

“Nays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nays. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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