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
Sapp debunked the rumor and mentioned that WWE is paying Knight a substantial amount of money.
—
Fernando Quiles Jr, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
In fact, a large Danish study recently debunked any danger.
—NPR, 31 Oct. 2025
There is a long, long, long list of fact-checks debunking various false claims about the moon landings, which marked perhaps the biggest milestone to date in human scientific and technological achievement.
—Adam Carlson, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
Accusations of false achievements on high mountains have existed for more than a century, and in almost every case, photographs have played an instrumental role in confirming or debunking the achievement.
—Owen Clarke, Outside, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debunk
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Fernando Quiles Jr, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
In fact, a large Danish study recently debunked any danger.
—NPR, 31 Oct. 2025
There is a long, long, long list of fact-checks debunking various false claims about the moon landings, which marked perhaps the biggest milestone to date in human scientific and technological achievement.
—Adam Carlson, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
Accusations of false achievements on high mountains have existed for more than a century, and in almost every case, photographs have played an instrumental role in confirming or debunking the achievement.
—Owen Clarke, Outside, 30 Oct. 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 6 Nov. 2025.
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