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
Even after Charles delivered an address to Congress that implicitly refuted some core tenets of Trumpism—there was an ode to limits on executive power, a defense of NATO and Ukraine, a rousing call to protect the natural world—Trump raved about it ahead of the state dinner that night.
—Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 30 Apr. 2026
The Department of Homeland Security has refuted claims of inhumane treatment.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
As state officials touted collaboration with federal agencies, FBI Director Kash Patel took to social media to refute the idea that Minnesota leaders should take any credit.
—Conor Wight, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026
Trump refuted those accusations in a heated interview with 60 Minutes host Norah O’Donnell on Sunday.
—Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for refute
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Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 30 Apr. 2026
The Department of Homeland Security has refuted claims of inhumane treatment.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
As state officials touted collaboration with federal agencies, FBI Director Kash Patel took to social media to refute the idea that Minnesota leaders should take any credit.
—Conor Wight, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026
Trump refuted those accusations in a heated interview with 60 Minutes host Norah O’Donnell on Sunday.
—Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 27 Apr. 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 5 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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