Definitions

refugees

NOUN

person running from something, often oppression

Synonyms

STRONGEST

alien displaced person emigrant evacuee exile expatriate foreigner

STRONG

DP castaway defector derelict deserter escapee foundling fugitive leper maroon outcast outlaw prodigal renegade runaway

WEAK

boat person expellee homeless person stateless person émigré

Antonyms

STRONGEST

citizen national native

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Poland has been in the firing line since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and has taken in more than a million Ukrainian refugees who fled the fighting.

From Barron's

At least 85,000 refugees have fled into Burundi since the advance, with the numbers rising daily, Burundian officials said Tuesday.

From Barron's

Despite those efforts, cholera began spreading late last year as new refugees poured in from neighboring Sudan.

From Salon

For the first time in more than a decade, the European Union’s asylum agency reported that Germany was no longer the top recipient of refugees in the first half of 2025.

From The Wall Street Journal

Nader, who was born in Hamburg to a family of Afghani refugees and grew up in California, began studying with Hussain at age 7.

From Los Angeles Times