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
In a demonstration ahead of the product’s launch, NewsGuard COO Matt Skibinski showed how the chatbot debunked a piece of medical misinformation and guided the user to primary sources.
—
Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 23 June 2026
Swift’s fans were quick to point out that rumor has been debunked.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 20 June 2026
But when a wedding planner debunked the idea that festivities at Ocean House, the hotel near Swift's Rhode Island estate, were for the Grammy winner and NFL superstar, speculation shifted to July 3 in New York.
—Bryan West, USA Today, 19 June 2026
That myth has been debunked numerous times, including as part of Fox News' 2023 $787 million settlement with voting machine company Dominion, but Berntsen, a former CIA operative, has been pushing it for years.
—Miles Parks, NPR, 16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for debunk
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Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 23 June 2026
Swift’s fans were quick to point out that rumor has been debunked.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 20 June 2026
But when a wedding planner debunked the idea that festivities at Ocean House, the hotel near Swift's Rhode Island estate, were for the Grammy winner and NFL superstar, speculation shifted to July 3 in New York.
—Bryan West, USA Today, 19 June 2026
That myth has been debunked numerous times, including as part of Fox News' 2023 $787 million settlement with voting machine company Dominion, but Berntsen, a former CIA operative, has been pushing it for years.
—Miles Parks, NPR, 16 June 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 25 Jun. 2026.
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