refuse to admit doing

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "refuse to admit doing" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when someone is denying or not acknowledging their involvement in an action or behavior. Example: "Despite the evidence against him, he continues to refuse to admit doing anything wrong."

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

Formal & Business

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Reference

Social Media

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

Because you refuse to admit that you don't even know the things you don't know.

Huffington Post

"An agency of the United States is saying, in effect, 'Although we claim that these defendants have done terrible things, they refuse to admit it and we do not propose to prove it, but will simply resort to gagging their right to deny it,' " he said.

The New York Times

Under physical threat from their bosses, children also avoid unwanted attention by telling their parents not to register them as missing, avoid arrest because of their age and refuse to admit what they are doing even to close friends.

Vice

They refuse to admit that they've done anything wrong.

Huffington Post

And I think the good old die-hard women's lib sort of person did refuse to admit that".

The Guardian - Books

Sure there are some people in the content industry who refuse to admit that their old models don't work (just like how there are people in the tech industry who work on Bing).

TechCrunch

But the Time article did refuse to admit the true scope of the failure of their "online poll" -- the hidden message in the first twenty-one names.

Huffington Post

Why did she refuse to admit it at the time?

Independent

Neville knows, even if he did repeatedly refuse to admit on Sunday that his side are in a relegation battle now, which they probably are, and claimed somewhat unconvincingly that his team have been unlucky.

The Guardian - Sport

Business and professional associations do not violate this right if they refuse to admit women as members or make them feel unwelcome because of their sex.

SEP

Others we don't even realize or we refuse to admit we have.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "refuse to admit doing", ensure the context clearly indicates the specific action or behavior being denied.

Common error

Avoid using "refuse to admit to do" as it is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "refuse to admit doing" or "refuse to admit to having done."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "refuse to admit doing" functions as a verbal phrase expressing a deliberate unwillingness to acknowledge or confess to performing a specific action. It implies a level of resistance or denial. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

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Less common in

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "refuse to admit doing" is grammatically sound, it conveys a deliberate unwillingness to acknowledge performing an action. As indicated by Ludwig AI, the phrase follows standard grammatical rules. Although the examples are missing, it can be applied in various contexts to express denial or lack of accountability. While versatile, consider alternative phrases such as "deny having done" for more direct communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

deny having done

Focuses on the act of denial regarding a completed action.

not acknowledge doing

Emphasizes a lack of recognition or acknowledgement of the action.

decline to concede having done

More formal, implying a reluctance to yield or admit to the action.

persist in denying that they did

Highlights the continued denial of the action.

will not own up to doing

Informal, suggesting a failure to take responsibility.

won't confess to doing

Focuses on the unwillingness to make a confession.

evade admitting to doing

Implies an attempt to avoid or escape admitting the action.

reject the notion of doing

Suggests a complete dismissal of any involvement or association with the act.

rebuff any implication of having done

Strongly denies any suggestion of involvement.

disavow any knowledge of doing

Denies any awareness or information about doing the action

FAQs

How can I use "refuse to admit doing" in a sentence?

You can use "refuse to admit doing" to indicate someone's unwillingness to acknowledge their involvement in an action. For example: "Despite the evidence, the suspect continues to refuse to admit doing anything wrong."

What are some alternatives to "refuse to admit doing"?

Alternatives include "deny having done", "not acknowledge doing", or "decline to concede having done", depending on the context.

Is it better to say "refuse to admit doing" or "refuse to admit to doing"?

"Refuse to admit doing" is generally preferred. "Refuse to admit to doing" is also correct, but less common. Both are grammatically valid but using "refuse to admit doing" is more concise.

What's the difference between "refuse to admit doing" and "deny doing"?

"Deny doing" is a more direct and straightforward way of expressing that someone is not acknowledging they performed an action. "Refuse to admit doing" emphasizes the unwillingness to acknowledge the action.