take no for an answer, not

Idioms

Not accept a refusal, be persistent in demanding something, as in I want you to show me the statements and I won't take no for an answer. This idiom was first recorded in 1930 in Winston Churchill's My Early Life: “Don't take no for an answer, never submit to failure.”

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.

But I can't take "no" for an answer, not now.

From Jennie Gerhardt A Novel by Dreiser, Theodore

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023