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The -but in rebut once meant basically "butt", so rebut's original meanings were "to drive or beat back" and "to attack with violent language". Rebuttals can still be rather violent, as anyone who has watched some heated moments in a presidential debate can testify. The word is often used by lawyers, since the lawyer for the accused or for the party being sued almost always tries to rebut the charges against his or her client; but it's also used in plenty of contexts outside the courtroom.
Examples of rebut in a Sentence
Ron Hurtibise, Sun Sentinel, 4 July 2025
On Tuesday, Kessler rebutted that claim, saying there was no conspiracy by the teams and that boycotting a meeting is merely part of the negotiating process.
—Jordan Bianchi, New York Times, 18 June 2025
White House spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer rebutted the suggestion that the moves indicate that the U.S. has joined the war.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 17 June 2025
The White House has insisted the bill will pay for itself – and has rapidly accelerated its messaging efforts to rebut any analysis that says otherwise to mollify fiscal hawks on Capitol Hill.
—Phil Mattingly, CNN Money, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for rebut
Cite this Entry
“Rebut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rebut. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rebut
verb
Legal Definition
rebut
transitive verb
Anglo-French reboter, rebuter to answer a charge, bar from an action, literally, to repulse, rebuff, from Old French reboter, from re- back + boter to push, butt
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