REFUTED Synonyms: 83 Similar and Opposite Words

refuted

verb

past tense of refute

as in denied

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in discredited

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 refuted Ramaswamy has also refuted allegations his fortune came from misleading investors. — Philip Elliott, Time, 19 Oct. 2026 But Wright, the center’s attorney, refuted this, telling The Times that two investigations were done by independent third parties. — Audrey McGlinchy, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026 According to the Public Defender's Office, officers falsely claimed that Gibson had assaulted them by biting, punching, and wrapping a radio cord around an officer's neck, claims later refuted by video evidence. — Senior Editor, CBS News, 8 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 At the root of it all is negligence, which is refuted and embodied by our challenging heroine. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2026 On September 16, a statement from Buckingham Palace (per People) refuted Spencer’s assertions. — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 16 Sep. 2026 Trump’s allegations of massive voting fraud have been refuted by a variety of judges, state election officials and members of his first administration who were in office during the 2020 election. — Melissa Goldin, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for refuted

Verb

Opposition activists have accused Venezuela's government of blocking Machado's return, a claim denied by Venezuelan authorities.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
Opposition activists have accused Venezuela’s government of blocking Machado’s return, a claim denied by Venezuelan authorities.

— Regina Garcia Cano, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of denied

Verb

Milli Vanilli won a Grammy, got all this attention and then got discredited and didn’t replace Barbra Streisand or Bruce Springsteen or Taylor Swift or the Eurythmics or The Rolling Stones.

— Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
Scientists have thoroughly discredited such claims for decades.

— Ashique KhudaBukhsh, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of discredited

Verb

The Offer At My Front Door During my time on the council, a developer appealed to us after the planning board rejected his plan for condos overlooking the largest lake in town.

— Jim Carlough, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
The bill is due before lawmakers on Tuesday, after the finance committee rejected it.

— Ruben Nyanguila, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of rejected

Verb

The Florida Supreme Court later overturned the conviction due to a conflict of interest with the prosecutor and ordered a new trial.

— Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
American norms about politics, science, education and law are being overturned, and artificial intelligence threatens further disruption.

— Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of overturned

Verb

Another questioned whether the move contradicted Fox's earlier public comments about objectification.

— Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Criminal charges against the ICE officer who drove the vehicle are being considered by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, after surveillance footage contradicted ICE’s claim that Parra Hernandez stepped in front of the vehicle.

— Lekan Oyekanmi, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of contradicted

Verb

The senator challenged Supreme Federal Court Justice Cristiano Zanin’s decision to extend voting by two hours, arguing that the uneven application of the measure had undermined equal voting conditions.

— Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026
Bolsonaro has already challenged the results, prolonging the political flux and adding fresh pressure to the currency.

— Marta Biino, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of challenged

Browse Nearby Words

refute

refuted

refutes

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Refuted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refuted. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of refuted

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

milieu

Popular in Grammar & Usage

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?

Popular in Wordplay

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

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes