The crossword solution for the term 'refuse to play by the rules' is 'CHEAT', which is a five-letter word. Cheating is an act of dishonesty or deception, usually in order to gain an unfair advantage. It is often used in sports and games, where it involves breaking the rules in order to gain an advantage over one's opponents. Refusing to play by the rules is essentially the same as cheating, and thus the crossword solution is 'CHEAT'.