debunk
verb
de·bunk
(ˌ)dē-ˈbəŋk 
debunked; debunking; debunks
: to expose the sham (see sham entry 1 sense 2) or falseness of
debunk a legend
debunker
noun
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To debunk something is to take the bunk out of it—that bunk being nonsense. (Bunk is short for the synonymous bunkum, which has political origins.) Debunk has been in use since at least the 1920s, and it contrasts with synonyms like disprove and rebut by suggesting that something is not merely untrue but is also a sham—a trick meant to deceive. One can simply disprove a myth, but if it is debunked, the implication is that the myth was a grossly exaggerated or foolish claim.
Examples of debunk in a Sentence
The article debunks the notion that life exists on Mars.
The results of the study debunk his theory.
Recent Examples on the Web
Summarizing decades of research in an article published in 2016, an all-star team of cognitive scientists and linguists specializing in reading ability and visual perception debunked both of these tenets.
—
Big Think, 16 Sep. 2025
In Season 2, though, Zac Affleck debunked the claim as a family joke.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
The Washington County Sheriff's Office in Utah debunked claims the father was employed by the department.
—Ty Roush, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
The contributions to this site are made exclusively by university faculty and other academics with an emphasis on debunking common myths associated with growing plants.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debunk
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Big Think, 16 Sep. 2025
In Season 2, though, Zac Affleck debunked the claim as a family joke.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
The Washington County Sheriff's Office in Utah debunked claims the father was employed by the department.
—Ty Roush, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
The contributions to this site are made exclusively by university faculty and other academics with an emphasis on debunking common myths associated with growing plants.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debunk
Cite this Entry
“Debunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/debunk. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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