debug

verb

de·​bug (ˌ)dē-ˈbəg 

debugged; debugging; debugs

transitive verb

1

: to remove insects from

2

: to eliminate errors in or malfunctions of

debug a computer program

3

: to remove a concealed microphone or wiretapping device from

debugger noun

Synonyms

• amend
• correct
• rewrite
• remedy
• reform

Examples of debug in a Sentence

She's been hired to write and debug computer programs.

the computer program ran much faster after it was debugged

Recent Examples on the Web

LinkedIn’s chief economic opportunity officer, Aneesh Raman, pointed out in May that AI tools are doing the types of simple coding and debugging tasks that junior software developers did to gain experience. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 5 July 2025

This clear separation reduces variance, simplifies debugging and ensures the assistant doesn’t veer off track in the middle of a task. —Alan Nichol, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025

For many real-world applications—debugging code, solving math problems, or analyzing structured data—pattern matching from vast training sets is enough to be useful. —ArsTechnica, 11 June 2025

Clarion quickly produces a debugging script and executing code validation. —Clint Boulton, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for debug

• humbug
• prodrug
• unplug
• antidrug
• mealybug
• multidrug
• chug
• doug
• drug
• dug
• hug
• jug

Kids Definition

debug

verb

de·​bug (ˈ)dē-ˈbəg 

: to remove mistakes from

debug a computer program