Turn it down without closing the door.
The refusal that thanks them specifically and leaves one door open — or, if you already said yes, the phone call first and the message the same day.
Where are you — deciding, or already committed?
Declining an offer, in four lines
Thank specifically, decline plainly, one door, stop — with a sample that survives being forwarded to HR.
Backing out after accepting
The order that keeps your reputation: call first, then write, then say what you will do about anything you already took.
When they push back
The answer that does not reopen the negotiation, and the sentence for the recruiter who asks why.
What not to write
The five filler sentences that make a refusal sound like a negotiation, and why "pursue other opportunities" reads badly.
Questions people ask first
Do I ever have to tell them the reason?
No. Give a reason only if it is true and you are comfortable with it being repeated.
Will this get me blacklisted?
A short, specific, same-day refusal almost never does. Silence and a late withdrawal are what damage the relationship.