rebuttal

noun

re·​but·​tal ri-ˈbə-tᵊl How to pronounce rebuttal (audio)
Synonyms of rebuttal
: the act of rebutting especially in a legal suit
also : argument or proof that rebuts

Synonyms of rebuttal

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of rebuttal in a Sentence

an effective rebuttal to her claim of having the gift of clairvoyance
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Now, McIlroy has issued a rebuttal to Kisner's harsh accusations. — Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026 Within that same year, researcher Nicholas Spanos and graduate student Jack Gottlieb published a rebuttal in Science, dismantling Caporael’s argument point by point. — Jennifer Byrne, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2026 The rebuttal is that much of this outlay has been wasteful, blown on poor recruitment choices while other areas badly in need of strengthening have been neglected. — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026 Subsequent testing by the centrist think tank Third Way found that not responding cost Democrats roughly eight points, a penalty largely erased by a direct rebuttal. — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rebuttal

Word History

First Known Use

1792, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rebuttal was in 1792

Rhymes for rebuttal

See All Rhymes for rebuttal

Browse Nearby Words

rebuttable
rebuttal
rebutter
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rebuttal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rebuttal. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

rebuttal

noun
re·​but·​tal ri-ˈbət-ᵊl How to pronounce rebuttal (audio)
: the act of rebutting
also : argument or proof that rebuts

Legal Definition

rebuttal

noun
re·​but·​tal ri-ˈbət-ᵊl How to pronounce rebuttal (audio)
: the act or procedure of rebutting
also : evidence or argument that rebuts
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All