debrief

verb

Definition of debriefnext
as in to interrogate
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 debrief Afterward, having an opportunity to debrief with Doug on things like trade deadlines has been extremely beneficial. — Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 30 June 2026 Ben tells João about his argument with Daisy, and João suggests the three of them have a head of department (HOD) dinner that night, to debrief and reset. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2026 The system should help managers understand what the data means, debrief the results, identify business implications, build action plans, recommend stakeholders and track behavior change over time. — Brent Gleeson, Forbes.com, 31 May 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 See All Example Sentences for debrief
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debrief
  1. interrogate
  2. question
  3. examine
Verb
  • The Average Problem Dines has been running his own experiments with frontier models, asking them to write in distinct styles and then interrogating them about why the output comes back bland.
    — Gabriel Alin Zainescu, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Her new album, Fata Morgana, uses an array of cascading rhythms, impish hooks, and fierce poetry to interrogate her place in a corrupt American society.
    — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 25 June 2026
Definition of interrogate
Verb
  • Buchhorn’s conviction was overturned in 2021, after the Court of Appeals of Kansas found Buchhorn’s defense did not sufficiently question Erik Mitchell of Frontier Forensics Midwest, an independent contractor who performed Oliver’s autopsy.
    — Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 7 July 2026
  • Trump has routinely teased the possibility of seeking a third term since returning to office and openly questioned whether he would be allowed to do so.
    — Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026
Definition of question
Verb
  • Apple examines each application and each update of every third-party app, and if these don’t meet Apple’s definition of acceptable, then they are not allowed to be installed.
    — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026
  • These agencies examine the water in comparison to contamination thresholds to determine if the area is swimmable.
    — Finch Walker, USA Today, 5 July 2026
Definition of examine

Browse Nearby Words

debonair
debrief
debriefed
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Cite this Entry

“Debrief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debrief. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on debrief

Nglish: Translation of debrief for Spanish Speakers

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