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
Once someone has formed an opinion, debunking their belief can backfire, driving them to commit even more strongly to their mistake.
—
Robert B. Talisse, The Conversation, 10 Apr. 2026
Fox debunked the reports and offered a number of apt reactions to learning about one’s own death.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Kennedy co-founded the anti-vaccine group Children's Health Defense, and has linked vaccines to autism, a theory long debunked by scientific research.
—Mariam Sunny, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
Swift and Kelce were rumored to be tying the knot at Rhode Island's Ocean House on June 13, though a wedding planner recently debunked the theory.
—Hannah Malach, InStyle, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debunk
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Robert B. Talisse, The Conversation, 10 Apr. 2026
Fox debunked the reports and offered a number of apt reactions to learning about one’s own death.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Kennedy co-founded the anti-vaccine group Children's Health Defense, and has linked vaccines to autism, a theory long debunked by scientific research.
—Mariam Sunny, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
Swift and Kelce were rumored to be tying the knot at Rhode Island's Ocean House on June 13, though a wedding planner recently debunked the theory.
—Hannah Malach, InStyle, 9 Apr. 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 14 Apr. 2026.
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