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 While refuting any suggestion of police repression, Lecornu condemned violence on the margins of protests, which were mostly peaceful Tuesday, despite the dramatic scenes that dominated coverage. — Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026 But Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve refuted those ideas prior to her Game 2 first-round loss. — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 3 Oct. 2026 Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork refuted those reports multiple times. — Andrew Marchand, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026 However, in July, Wayne released a message refuting reports of an engagement, referring to a relationship with someone in the past tense, albeit without mentioning them by name. — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 29 Sep. 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
  • This month, it was denied access to the plane for a trip to Georgia and Florida.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
  • In response, Amy Helm accused Parillo of financial exploitation and elder abuse of Sandra Helm in a June court filing; Parillo denied those charges.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of deny
Verb
  • There are growing concerns from Congress and observers that the election will take place in a hostile environment and efforts to discredit and undermine the election are already underway.
    — Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The few instances of panic were magnified by newspapers eager to discredit the new medium of radio.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of discredit
Verb
  • But right-wing parties that would need to be part of his coalition could reject that option.
    — Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Human Rights Watch said those expulsions amounted to war crimes, a charge that Israel rejects.
    — Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of reject
Verb
  • Chinese authorities also said no toxic substances were found in its products, disproving social-media claims that previously hurt sales.
    — Alexa LoMonaco,Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Less than a month after astonishing the world with its solution to the long-standing Navier-Stokes problem, OpenAI has released 722 maths papers, proving or disproving problems across numerous fields from algebraic geometry to number theory.
    — Will Barker, TheWeek, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of disprove
Verb
  • An agent also needs to know where information came from, when it was updated and whether another source contradicts it.
    — Shekhar Iyer, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The contradicting geological and orbital observations for Phobos and Deimos collected to date have prevented scientists from definitively establishing one hypothesis over the other.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of contradict
Verb
  • Yet those strengths may not be enough to overturn the structural advantages enjoyed by Moscow and Beijing, said experts.
    — Lee Ying Shan,Matthew Tan, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Bolsonaro also called for amnesty for his father, Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year prison sentence under house arrest after being found guilty of plotting a coup to overturn his defeat in the 2022 election.
    — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of overturn
Verb
  • Prosecutors rebutted Busfield’s allegations in a response to the dismissal and asked the court to deny his motion.
    — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Even that is too much, Stanley’s attorneys rebutted in court documents.
    — Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of rebut
Verb
  • What readers are saying The comments discuss various aspects of maintaining health and well-being as one ages, emphasizing the importance of exercise, healthy eating, adequate sleep, and mental activity.
    — Richard Sima, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Without a sustained industrial push that the EU has only begun to discuss, Europe can raise the commercial and regulatory costs of the route, but cannot prevent or replace the China-Russia partnership that now operates it.
    — Lee Ying Shan,Matthew Tan, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of discuss

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refutations
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Cite this Entry

“Refute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refute. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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