refute

verb

re·​fute ri-ˈfyüt 

refuted; refuting

transitive verb

1

: to prove wrong by argument or evidence : show to be false or erroneous

2

: to deny the truth or accuracy of

refuted the allegations

refutable

ri-ˈfyü-tə-bəl 

adjective

refutably

ri-ˈfyü-tə-blē 

adverb

refuter noun

Synonyms of refute

• deny
• reject
• contradict

Examples of refute in a Sentence

But for every study that shows acid rain is damaging frogs, another one refutes it. —Emily Yoffe, New York Times Magazine, 13 Dec. 1992

And it violates the basic tenet of historical method: that the historian be alert to the negative instances that would refute his thesis and to alternative explanations that would be more plausible than his own. —Gertrude Himmelfarb, The New History and the Old, 1987

It is not necessary to refute such an argument point by point … —Denis Goulet, Center Magazine, May 1969

We refute these aspersions whether they come from our best friends or our worst foes. —Sir Winston Churchill, address in House of Commons, 18 Jan. 1945, in Nathan Aus, ed., Voices of History 1945–46,  1946

The lawyer refuted the testimony of the witness.

He refutes the notion that he's planning to retire soon.

She refuted the allegations against her.

Recent Examples on the Web

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

While refuting any suggestion of police repression, Lecornu condemned violence on the margins of protests, which were mostly peaceful Tuesday, despite the dramatic scenes that dominated coverage. — Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 7 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

Word History

Etymology

Latin refutare to check, suppress, refute

First Known Use

1545, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for refute

• acute
• aleut
• astute
• beetroot
• breadfruit
• cheroot
• commute
• compute
• confute
• dilute
• dispute
• elute

Kids Definition

refute

verb

re·​fute ri-ˈfyüt 

refuted; refuting

: to prove wrong by argument or evidence : show to be false

refute the testimony of a witness

refutable

-ˈfyüt-ə-bəl 

adjective

refuter noun