1955 January, Charles E. Lee, “The Glasgow Underground Railway”, inRailway Magazine, page24:
Eventually, the railway opened on Monday, December 14, 1896, with a universal fare of 1d. collected at the turnstiles, and conditions were immediately chaotic, as many passengers travelled round and round, andrefused to leave the cars.
(intransitive) To decline a request or demand,forbear; to withhold permission.
Irefuse to listen to this nonsense any more.
I asked the star if I could have her autograph, but sherefused.
If yerefuse[…] ye shall be devoured with the sword.
2011 September 27, Alistair Magowan, “Bayern Munich 2 - 0 Man City”, inBBC Sport[1]:
City were outclassed thereafter and Roberto Mancini said that substitute Carlos Tevezrefused to play.
2018, Michael Cottakis – LSE, “Colliding worlds: Donald Trump and the European Union”, inLSE's blog[2]:
Trump has explicitlyrefused to deal with the European Commission, seeking instead to conduct bilateral relations with individual EU countries.
2022 November 2, Paul Bigland, “New trains, old trains, and splendid scenery”, inRAIL, number969, page58:
My thoughts are disturbed by a man and pooch trying to get off the front of the train. Despite hitting the door button, theyrefused to open.
(ditransitive) Towithhold (something) from (someone); to not give it to them or to bar them from having it.
1991 December 15, Saadia Everett, “Protest Beatings”, inGay Community News, volume19, number22, page 4:
If we bang or scream they will spray us with some pepper or something else that's in an aeresol[sic] can, and they wear gas masks, while the rest of us have to breathe the fumes in, and it makes us very sick and theyrefuse us medical treatment.
(military) To throw back, or cause to keep back (as the centre, a wing, or a flank), out of the regular alignment when troops are about to engage the enemy.
torefuse the right wing while the left wing attacks
