refuted; refuting
Examples of refute in a Sentence
But for every study that shows acid rain is damaging frogs, another one refutes it.
—
Emily Yoffe, New York Times Magazine, 13 Dec. 1992
And it violates the basic tenet of historical method: that the historian be alert to the negative instances that would refute his thesis and to alternative explanations that would be more plausible than his own.
—Gertrude Himmelfarb, The New History and the Old, 1987
It is not necessary to refute such an argument point by point …
—Denis Goulet, Center Magazine, May 1969
We refute these aspersions whether they come from our best friends or our worst foes.
—Sir Winston Churchill, address in House of Commons, 18 Jan. 1945,
in Nathan Aus, ed., Voices of History 1945–46, 1946
The lawyer refuted the testimony of the witness.
He refutes the notion that he's planning to retire soon.
She refuted the allegations against her.
Emily Yoffe, New York Times Magazine, 13 Dec. 1992
And it violates the basic tenet of historical method: that the historian be alert to the negative instances that would refute his thesis and to alternative explanations that would be more plausible than his own.
—Gertrude Himmelfarb, The New History and the Old, 1987
It is not necessary to refute such an argument point by point …
—Denis Goulet, Center Magazine, May 1969
We refute these aspersions whether they come from our best friends or our worst foes.
—Sir Winston Churchill, address in House of Commons, 18 Jan. 1945,
in Nathan Aus, ed., Voices of History 1945–46, 1946
The lawyer refuted the testimony of the witness.
He refutes the notion that he's planning to retire soon.
She refuted the allegations against her.
Recent Examples on the Web
Anne Hathaway is refuting online speculation over whether she's had a facelift.
—Sharareh Drury, Entertainment Weekly, 22 May 2026
However, the district plans to refute the claims brought in the suit through legal action.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 22 May 2026
Eager to avoid political clashes, the Athletic reported that FIFA was going to ban the flag from World Cup games, a charge the organization did little to refute.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 19 May 2026
Cuban officials have angrily refuted the pressure campaign and promised to resist any military intervention with force.
—Patrick Oppmann, CNN Money, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for refute
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Sharareh Drury, Entertainment Weekly, 22 May 2026
However, the district plans to refute the claims brought in the suit through legal action.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 22 May 2026
Eager to avoid political clashes, the Athletic reported that FIFA was going to ban the flag from World Cup games, a charge the organization did little to refute.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 19 May 2026
Cuban officials have angrily refuted the pressure campaign and promised to resist any military intervention with force.
—Patrick Oppmann, CNN Money, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for refute
Cite this Entry
“Refute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refute. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
refute
verb
re·fute
ri-ˈfyüt 
refuted; refuting
: to prove wrong by argument or evidence : show to be false
refute the testimony of a witness
refuter
noun
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