refute

verb

ri-ˈfyüt How to pronounce refute (audio)
Definition of refutenext
1
as in to deny
to declare not to be true while he was publicly refuting rumors of a merger, behind the scenes the CEO was working to effect that very outcome

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to discredit
to prove to be false the victories of African-American athlete Jesse Owens in the 1936 Olympics effectively refuted the racial views of the Nazis

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 refute The State Department has refuted arguments that funding cuts contributed to a slower response to the virus. — Adrian Elimian, semafor.com, 20 Aug. 2026 In his Facebook post, Khrzhanovsky refutes or qualifies the various accusations made against him and his film. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2026 Minneapolis’s Walker Art Center and the artist Olalekan Jeyifous are refuting accusations by some museum visitors that his work was made using generative AI, reports MPR News. — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 20 Aug. 2026 Greenidge, an award-winning public historian, refuted all charges, and told the New York Times that attacks on her scholarship were racially motivated. — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for refute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refute
  1. deny
  2. discredit
  3. reject
  4. disprove
  5. contradict
  6. overturn
  7. rebut
  8. discuss
Verb
  • Anderson, who long had been considered a suspect in Shakur’s killing, denied involvement before his death in an unrelated Compton shooting in 1998 at age 23.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Edwards has denied the allegations, but ended his reelection bid after the House Ethics Committee posted their investigative findings last month.
    — Claudia Grisales, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of deny
Verb
  • In trying to discredit public concerns about data centers as a psyop, Goldman and others said, tech leaders are taking a page out of the intelligence playbook themselves.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Inflicting these details on the jury, the children’s family members, and the public served no discernible purpose in establishing Clancy’s mens rea, which might have discredited her not-guilty plea.
    — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of discredit
Verb
  • The Athletic reported on Monday that all parties have now been in direct communication to confirm the deal is off after City’s bid of an initial £75m and £5m in add-ons was rejected.
    — The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Palal also rejected the defense’s contention that Davis fabricated his accounts to make money.
    — Jonathan Landrum Jr, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of reject
Verb
  • An assumption disproved, an option eliminated or a risk identified may represent meaningful progress.
    — Mustafa Shreet, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Legal experts said the slow pace reflects a cautious approach by Graf, the large volume of evidence and a desire by prosecutors to disprove conspiracy theories around the case.
    — Matthew Brown, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of disprove
Verb
  • Footage from the cameras worn by CBP officers involved in the death of 37-year-old Alex Pretti contradicted the administration's initial narrative of his death, and renewed calls for broader use of the cameras.
    — Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026
  • If executives contradict each other about how emotional data should influence decisions, your teams will likely default to ignoring the system.
    — Dr. Nore Salman, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of contradict
Verb
  • But if the stay is lifted or overturned, USPS would require states to submit lists of mail ballot recipients and get approval for envelope and ballot designs with individualized barcodes.
    — Peter Weber, TheWeek, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Bans can last five to 10 years, and some have been successfully overturned in court, lawyers say.
    — Daniel Estrin, NPR, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of overturn
Verb
  • In a motion filed last week, Deputy Latah County Prosecuting Attorney Keith Scholl asked for a transcript of Kohberger's July 2, 2025, change of plea hearing, in which Kohberger's own words could be used to rebut the new claims in his petition.
    — Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The prosecution then called three rebuttal witnesses, called to rebut previous testimony, according to Cornell Law School.
    — Melina Khan, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of rebut
Verb
  • Along with the move back to Britain, Meghan’s acting return was a subject the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had reportedly been discussing for some time, according to People.
    — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Yet many Jews then and now objected to the idea that bringing up Israel’s war in Lebanon was appropriate context when discussing a synagogue attack.
    — Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of discuss

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Cite this Entry

“Refute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refute. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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