debunk

verb

de·​bunk (ˌ)dē-ˈbəŋk 

debunked; debunking; debunks

transitive verb

: to expose the sham (see sham entry 1 sense 2) or falseness of

debunk a legend

debunker noun

Did you know?

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.

Synonyms

• belie
• confound
• confute
• disconfirm
• discredit
• disprove
• falsify
• rebut
• refute
• shoot down

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

But the independent autopsy results debunk the city's claims by stating Wade was in fact carrying identification and the family could have been promptly notified. —Minnah Arshad, USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024

As the town sought answers about why the building collapsed, Burkett floated a conspiracy theory that had been widely debunked. —Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1923, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

debunk

verb

de·​bunk (ˈ)dē-ˈbəŋk 

: to expose the falseness in

debunk popular myths

debunker noun