Crossword Genius

Refuse encouragement, having taken note (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

spurn

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'refuse' is the definition.
(spurning is a kind of refusing)

'encouragement having taken note' is the wordplay.
'encouragement' becomes 'spur' (spur is a kind of encouragement).
'having' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'taken note' becomes 'n' (abbreviation. I am not sure about the 'taken' bit.).
'spur'+'n'='SPURN'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for spurn that I've seen before include "Refuse with contempt" , "Despise" , "Contemptuously dismiss" , "Reject with contempt" , "Reject scornfully, rebuff" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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