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
As frigid temperatures engulf large swaths of the nation, auto experts are debunking a longtime myth about driving in cold weather.
—
Jalen Williams, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025
However, this theory was later debunked when Edgar Patino, a married man who had impregnated Touma, was found to be her murderer, according to authorities.
—Mason Leath, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2025
Sapp debunked the rumor and mentioned that WWE is paying Knight a substantial amount of money.
—Fernando Quiles Jr, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
In fact, a large Danish study recently debunked any danger.
—NPR, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debunk
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Jalen Williams, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025
However, this theory was later debunked when Edgar Patino, a married man who had impregnated Touma, was found to be her murderer, according to authorities.
—Mason Leath, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2025
Sapp debunked the rumor and mentioned that WWE is paying Knight a substantial amount of money.
—Fernando Quiles Jr, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
In fact, a large Danish study recently debunked any danger.
—NPR, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debunk
Cite this Entry
“Debunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/debunk. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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