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
Fake quote graphics attributed to politicians are among the cheapest things to manufacture and the most expensive to debunk.
—
Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Those rumors were promptly debunked, however.
—Emma Banks, InStyle, 29 May 2026
Now, the Chinese team debunked those beliefs after spotting tiny organisms living on rocky surfaces across multiple Pacific trenches.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 28 May 2026
Iranian media debunked the images, saying Vahidi did not meet the Pakistani official, and that the picture dates back to 2024.
—Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for debunk
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Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Those rumors were promptly debunked, however.
—Emma Banks, InStyle, 29 May 2026
Now, the Chinese team debunked those beliefs after spotting tiny organisms living on rocky surfaces across multiple Pacific trenches.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 28 May 2026
Iranian media debunked the images, saying Vahidi did not meet the Pakistani official, and that the picture dates back to 2024.
—Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for debunk
Cite this Entry
“Debunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/debunk. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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