debrief
verb
de·brief
(ˌ)dē-ˈbrēf 
debriefed; debriefing; debriefs
1
: to interrogate (someone, such as a pilot) usually upon return (as from a mission) in order to obtain useful information
The hostages were later debriefed by police.
2
: to carefully review upon completion
debrief the flight
: to be interrogated for useful information following a mission, experience, etc. : to be debriefed
After each mission, … the pilots land, disarm and roll into the fuel pit. They spend another hour debriefing with Intelligence …—
Maria Wilhelm
Maria WilhelmExamples of debrief in a Sentence
Police debriefed the hostages upon their return.
The pilot was debriefed after his flight.
Recent Examples on the Web
Models, editors, and movie stars slid into plush banquettes to debrief the evening.
—Ian Malone, Vogue, 6 May 2025
Christian Walker dressed, dwelled and debriefed there for the first 49 games of his Astros tenure.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 25 May 2025
Bobby Moynihan and Bryant play government officials debriefing the three citizens, but a troubling pattern soon emerges in their answers.
—Erin Strecker, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2025
Boone, who joined the Southern District of New York (SDNY) in 2012, had been on the public corruption beat for approximately a year when he was assigned the task of debriefing Blazer over college sports.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debrief
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Ian Malone, Vogue, 6 May 2025
Christian Walker dressed, dwelled and debriefed there for the first 49 games of his Astros tenure.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 25 May 2025
Bobby Moynihan and Bryant play government officials debriefing the three citizens, but a troubling pattern soon emerges in their answers.
—Erin Strecker, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2025
Boone, who joined the Southern District of New York (SDNY) in 2012, had been on the public corruption beat for approximately a year when he was assigned the task of debriefing Blazer over college sports.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debrief
Cite this Entry
“Debrief.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/debrief. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
debrief
verb
de·brief
di-ˈbrēf
ˈdē-
: to question (as an astronaut) on return from a mission or assignment in order to obtain useful information
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