Nicholas sternly refused, reproaching his uncle for asking him to break his coronation oath to maintain autocratic power intact for his successors.

I begged Mother for another dime so I could buy a piece of pie, but she sternly refused.

He led the way, admonishing: --We will sternly refuse to partake of strong waters, will we not?

When President Johnson sternly refused, Mr. Kosygin indicated the Soviet Union would settle for "the territories occupied."

Offered a settlement that would have retrieved half the gold, Moreira sternly refused - and has not had any of it back.

Sir Danvers sternly refuses Jekyll's request.

With this arbitrary command the University sternly refused to comply.

Ricky sternly refuses and asks to hear nothing more of it.

I asked the Voivode to allow me to transfer it to him, but he sternly refused and forbade me, quite peremptorily, to ever open the subject to him again.