Refuse
Refuse verb - To show unwillingness to accept, do, engage in, or agree to.
Usage example: she refused the award, citing the hard work of others who deserved the recognition more than she did
Turn down is a synonym for refuse in decline topic. In some cases you can use "Turn down" instead a verb "Refuse", when it comes to topics like deny, action, reject, accept. popular alternative
Turn down
Turn down verb - To show unwillingness to accept, do, engage in, or agree to.
Usage example: I'm afraid that I will have to turn down your invitation
Mutual synonyms
Related pairs
Both terms in one sentence
- Studios turn down good scripts, networks cancel, screw over, or fail to pick up good shows, and publishers refuse to publish great books all the time.
Source: Network to the Rescue -
He's refereed to as "The One Who Won't Refuse You" at least once, due to his inability to turn down a request to help someone out.
Source: City Mouse -
An Offer You Can't Refuse: As much as Report would like to turn down W.I.K.I.'s (quite well-paid) offer in the Heavy Meta arc on accounts of not knowing any music at all, he really can't.
Cite this Source
Turn down and Refuse. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/refuse/turn_down
Refuse & Turn down. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/refuse/turn_down>.
Turn down or Refuse. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/refuse/turn_down.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "refuse" and "turn down" have occurred on timeline