refute

verb

re·​fute ri-ˈfyüt How to pronounce refute (audio)
refuted; refuting
Synonyms of refute

transitive verb

1
: to prove wrong by argument or evidence : show to be false or erroneous
2
: to deny the truth or accuracy of
refuted the allegations
refutable
ri-ˈfyü-tə-bəl How to pronounce refute (audio)
adjective
refutably
ri-ˈfyü-tə-blē How to pronounce refute (audio)
adverb
refuter noun

Synonyms of refute

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Examples of refute in a Sentence

But for every study that shows acid rain is damaging frogs, another one refutes it. —Emily Yoffe, New York Times Magazine, 13 Dec. 1992
And it violates the basic tenet of historical method: that the historian be alert to the negative instances that would refute his thesis and to alternative explanations that would be more plausible than his own. —Gertrude Himmelfarb, The New History and the Old, 1987
It is not necessary to refute such an argument point by point … —Denis Goulet, Center Magazine, May 1969
We refute these aspersions whether they come from our best friends or our worst foes. —Sir Winston Churchill, address in House of Commons, 18 Jan. 1945, in Nathan Aus, ed., Voices of History 1945–46,  1946
The lawyer refuted the testimony of the witness. He refutes the notion that he's planning to retire soon. She refuted the allegations against her.
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.
The Chinese government has refuted the claims as lies and defended its practice and policy in Xinjiang as fighting terror and ensuring stability. — ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026 OpenAI’s proof provides an algorithm to solve 3-SAT that is just a tiny bit faster than exponential time, refuting ETH. — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 2026 New details were released Tuesday about the death of Heather Turner, as a private investigator hired by her family publicly refuted local law enforcement's official ruling of suicide. — La'tasha Givens, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026 Where Bikini Kill’s raw, aggressive, discordant tunes subvert gender expectations imposed on women, Uppity’s sincere and introspective jams refute the self-defeating emotional sterility that patriarchy demands from men. — Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for refute

Word History

Etymology

Latin refutare to check, suppress, refute

First Known Use

1545, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of refute was in 1545

Rhymes for refute

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Browse Nearby Words

refutatory
refute
refuter
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Refute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refute. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

refute

verb
re·​fute ri-ˈfyüt How to pronounce refute (audio)
refuted; refuting
: to prove wrong by argument or evidence : show to be false
refute the testimony of a witness
refutable
-ˈfyüt-ə-bəl How to pronounce refute (audio)
adjective
refuter noun
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