refugees

noun

plural of refugee
as in exiles
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 refugees Public sentiment toward refugees and migrants has also hardened elsewhere, creating a crisis for nonprofit aid groups. — Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026 The dire economic conditions resulted in one in four Venezuelans, nearly 8 million people, fleeing the country as refugees, creating a massive migration crisis across the Americas. — Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 21 Oct. 2026 The case centers on the Cuban government shooting down two Brothers to the Rescue flights, a civilian rescue group dedicated to saving refugees fleeing the authoritarian Castro regime — then run by Raul Castro’s older brother Fidel. — Liv Caputo Herald, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026 Rights groups have condemned the deportations, saying returnees – particularly the Rohingya, a Muslim minority group that accounts for most of Malaysia’s refugees – will face violence, persecution, and forced conscription. — Lindsey McGinnis, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Oct. 2026 Trump has vastly expanded ICE to ramp up deportations of immigrants, refugees and asylum-seekers, and the agency was a major part of last year’s law-enforcement surge in the Chicago area known as Operation Midway Blitz. — Daniel C. Vock, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026 After the war ended in 1975, Truong and his family came to the United States as refugees and started out in Pennsylvania, where Truong worked in a grocery store. — Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Oct. 2026 In September, the government announced plans to limit the total number of refugees admitted to the country in 2027 to 17,500, the majority of whom are white South Africans. — Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026 Conflict with Indigenous peoples on the Maine frontier had sent traumatized refugees into the region, relating horror stories of attacks on their homes. — Jennifer Byrne, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refugees
  1. exiles
  2. aliens
  3. evacuees
  4. expatriates
Noun
  • Candidates up and down the ballot seized the moment to stake their position against Cuba’s communist government to voters in Florida, which has the most Cuban exiles in the country.
    — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Producers Arya Ibrahim and Gita Fara describe the project as a story of the political upheaval of 1965, which tore families apart and left people who lost their citizenship living as exiles.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of exiles
Noun
  • Once again, we’re shown Blunt’s character being hijacked by aliens mid-weather report, uttering an alien language of clicks and pops.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 27 May 2026
Definition of aliens
Noun
  • The Marquette County Sheriff's Office and American Red Cross will assist evacuees and pets at Negaunee Township Hall.
    — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • By then, hordes of evacuees from the North Tower were walking north on Sixth Avenue to escape the terror.
    — Bob Kustra, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of evacuees
Noun
  • Thousands of Serb expatriates in the United States, Australia and New Zealand face the same problem.
    — Branimir Pipal, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The Gulf state has no federal personal income tax, and has become an increasingly popular luxe destination for wealthy expatriates.
    — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of expatriates

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Cite this Entry

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

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