debriefed

past tense of debrief
as in interrogated
to officially ask (someone) about a job that has been done or about an experience Police debriefed the hostages upon their return. The pilot was debriefed after his flight.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of debriefed The next morning, Saturday, July 4, the sisters debriefed over breakfast bagels while watching ships sail up the Hudson River to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday. — Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 10 July 2026 If her fellow cast members were debriefed about her dismissal or gossiped amongst themselves, it was not shown onscreen. — Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 1 July 2026 The 14 Russian survivors were brought ashore in the port city of Cartagena, where they were debriefed by Spanish police and investigators. — Pau Mosquera, CNN Money, 12 May 2026 Fox said Williams was debriefed in September 2015 and signed a nondisclosure agreement. — Allen G. Breed, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026 Shortly thereafter, Dowd found herself inside the FBI’s resident agency in Brevard County, where she was debriefed by a special agent. — Adam Ciralsky, Vanity Fair, 19 Mar. 2026 Importantly, there was no significant difference in recovery between people who were debriefed and those who were not. — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debriefed
Verb
  • She was interrogated and warned that a second offense meant prison.
    — Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Intelligence officers transported him to a camp controlled by Colombia’s FARC guerrilla organization, where he was interrogated and tortured over approximately two days, according to the charges.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • But on Monday, Broadcom CEO Hock Tan likened many of the investors drawn to the AI boom to gamblers and questioned the economics of AI labs as Wall Street debates whether the AI bubble will burst.
    — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The child's mother was taken into custody at the hospital and is being questioned by police, according to the NYPD.
    — Naveen Dhaliwal, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The model examined the website, found a vulnerable script and used it to complete the calculation.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The report examined two scenarios involving a relatively smooth transition.
    — Sheena Rossiter, NPR, 19 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Debriefed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debriefed. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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