refuse to

refuse (something) to (one)

To decline to give or grant something to one. The prison guard was accused of refusing medical treatment to dozens of inmates. Unfortunately, the company is completely within their rights to refuse insurance benefits to new employees.
See also: refuse

refuse to (do something)

To indicate or express that one is unwilling or determined not to do something. He refused to sign the contract because he would have to relinquish creative control of the project. I tried to call to apologize to her, but she's refusing to answer her phone.
See also: refuse
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

refuse something to someone

to deny someone permission to receive or use something. You wouldn't refuse water to me, would you? Nothing at all was refused to the new employee.
See also: refuse
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • refuse (something) to (one)
  • beat (one) to (something)
  • keep (something) dark
  • keep it/something dark
  • keep something dark
  • from the sublime to the ridiculous
  • have half an eye on (someone or something)
  • have one eye on (someone or something)
  • have one eye/half an eye on something
  • keep half an eye on (someone or something)
References in classic literature
Perhaps she refused to have him sent for because she knew he would refuse to come.
Moon and Sixpence
'Why do you, who heal others, refuse to help my son?' She besought him in Christ's name.
Father Sergius
I positively refuse to read her, as I positively refuse to listen to her, whenever she attempts to return to that one subject.
The New Magdalen
Could she say, "I refuse to content this pining hunger?" It would be refusing to do for him dead, what she was almost sure to do for him living.
Middlemarch
"I refuse to accept this extraordinary mission," Pailleton declared, rising to his feet.
The Kingdom of the Blind
"I refuse to leave this spot," answered the Cricket, "until I have told you a great truth."
"Woe to boys who refuse to obey their parents and run away from home!
Adventures Of Pinocchio
Often he would positively refuse to learn, or to repeat his lessons, or even to look at his book.
Frequently I threatened that, if he did not do better, he should have another line: then he would stubbornly refuse to write this line; and I, to save my word, had finally to resort to the expedient of holding his fingers upon the pen, and forcibly drawing his hand up and down, till, in spite of his resistance, the line was in some sort completed.
Often she would stubbornly refuse to pronounce some particular word in her lesson; and now I regret the lost labour I have had in striving to conquer her obstinacy.
In MY childhood I could not imagine a more afflictive punishment than for my mother to refuse to kiss me at night: the very idea was terrible.
Agnes Grey
'One of such plans is ensuring that there is a mobile court to penalise those who refuse to dispose their garbage on a regular basis,' he said.
Kwara Ministry To Introduce Sanitary Mobile Courts
Villagers are saying they will seek legal action against the barbers if they continue to refuse to giving haircut to people of SC community.
UP: Barbers refuse to cut hair of people from SC community
A California court has ruled that a bakery owner may refuse to bake cakes for LGBTQ couples because of the owner's religious beliefs.
Calif. Court Allows Baker To Discriminate
Under the Memorandum Circular 16-2016, a case build-up can be conducted against any person who shall refuse to allow law enforcers entry into their household.
Violation of citizens privacy, others under 'Tokhang' tackled