refuse
verb (used with object)
to decline to accept (something offered).
refuses
-
present tense formof refuse (3rd person singular).present tense
Used to describe things happening now or regularly.
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.
There’s a comic trope beloved by playwrights, novelists and screenwriters about the fighters all suited up for battle, only to discover that their adversary refuses to play.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
When Stewart pressed her on the president’s fixation, Collins defended her record, emphasizing that she refuses to serve only one political audience.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026
‘I get $1,460 in Social Security’: My millionaire ex-husband, 74, refuses to pay alimony.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 25, 2026
The question is framed in the language of free will and determinism, but Golding refuses to let it remain there.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
But there’s another part of me, I guess the part of me from right now, the older me, that refuses to do that.
From "Free Lunch" by Rex Ogle
