say no
idiom
: to say that one will not accept or agree to something
We requested more time, but she said no.
—often + toShe said no to our request.
I never say no to dessert.
Examples of say no in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Just say no to donation piles sitting in the closet for months.
—
Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Jan. 2026
That’s one of the challenges as a director—I’ll love a location, and then one man or lady will say no.
—Tamara Southward, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Jan. 2026
Parents hear a reason to say no, and teens like me go quiet.
—Anamika Shrimali, STAT, 21 Jan. 2026
While the possibility of another strike exists if negotiations fail in the future, both sides say no one wants to repeat what happened.
—Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for say no
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Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Jan. 2026
That’s one of the challenges as a director—I’ll love a location, and then one man or lady will say no.
—Tamara Southward, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Jan. 2026
Parents hear a reason to say no, and teens like me go quiet.
—Anamika Shrimali, STAT, 21 Jan. 2026
While the possibility of another strike exists if negotiations fail in the future, both sides say no one wants to repeat what happened.
—Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for say no
Cite this Entry
“Say no.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/say%20no. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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