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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of refute
Though then-Bucks coach Doc Rivers refuted that report, Antetokounmpo acknowledged that the offseason was a time when temptation could be very real for him.
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Eric Nehm,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
Friends close to the Saturday Night Live alum refuted Wilde’s account, suggesting the real story was much more complex.
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Allison Degrushe,
StyleCaster,
19 June 2026
Two other retired judges later published their own piece refuting Gilliard’s contention.
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Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
14 June 2026
Fortunately, video replay allows people to validate—or refute—a referee’s decision.
—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
13 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for refute
Eric Nehm,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
Friends close to the Saturday Night Live alum refuted Wilde’s account, suggesting the real story was much more complex.
—
Allison Degrushe,
StyleCaster,
19 June 2026
Two other retired judges later published their own piece refuting Gilliard’s contention.
—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
14 June 2026
Fortunately, video replay allows people to validate—or refute—a referee’s decision.
—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
13 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for refute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refute
Verb
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His opponent claimed that created a conflict of interest, which Weiser denied.
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The two housekeepers denied having such a conversation with Brown, noting language differences would have made such a discussion unlikely.
Verb
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Kiryl Pazniak, 49, who hosted a popular political show on YouTube, has been convicted on the charges of discrediting Belarus and forming an extremist organization, the group said — accusations widely used by authorities to stifle critical voices.
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Green said earlier this year that Adebayo shouldn’t be underestimated and his 83-point game against Washington shouldn’t be discredited.
Verb
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Critics see it as another attempt to breathe life into claims that courts, investigators and election officials have repeatedly rejected — and another corrosive attempt to undermine faith in the state’s vote.
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Questioning, if not rejecting, established Christian doctrine, Ahab also comes to regard Moby Dick as the outward and visible sign, the physical embodiment of the indifference or, worse, utter malignity inherent in the universe.
Verb
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And it’s left to the person it’s aimed at to disprove the association — after a bell has been rung that cannot be unrung.
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And more recently, a new general-purpose AI system from OpenAI disproved an important conjecture in combinatorial geometry.
Verb
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Over the same period, entry-level head count at the high-intensity firms rose 12%, contradicting predictions and fears that young or inexperienced workers would be most at risk of losing their jobs to AI.
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Jorge Rodríguez, the president of the National Assembly, announced Monday that the official toll stood at 1,719 people killed and 5,000 injured, and warned the public against sharing information that contradicted authorities.
Verb
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Tuesday’s ruling means the regulations cannot take effect unless the decision is overturned on appeal.
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Cleveland manager Terry Francona challenged the original safe call at second and got the play overturned after a replay delay that lasted 1 minute, 29 seconds.
Verb
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Beasley and the other defendants will also have the chance to rebut the allegations.
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Such interventions were rebutted by Dal Babu, a former chief superintendent of London’s Metropolitan Police.
Verb
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In other news, NATO leaders are meeting this week and officials are expected to discuss security in the Strait of Hormuz.
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While discussing the vows with her cohosts, George Stephanopoulos and Michael Strahan, Roberts added that Swift and Kelce's neighbors and high school friends were also among the attendees.
Cite this Entry
“Refute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refute. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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