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

Consider the brilliant software engineer who can debug any system but struggles with strategic thinking. —Juliette Han, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025

When code doesn't work as expected, debugging requires understanding what the code is actually doing—precisely the knowledge that vibe coding tends to sidestep. —Ars Technica, 5 Mar. 2025

But when stability, control or debugging depth matter, a hybrid model is often better. —Jagadish Gokavarapu, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025

Agents can be used to perform complex, multi-stage activities such as canary deployments for new versions of applications, establishing a zero trust security policy for all services in a cluster and debugging service availability issues. —Adrian Bridgwater, Forbes, 17 Mar. 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