refute

verb

re·fute ri-ˈfyüt

refuted; refuting

Synonyms of refute next

transitive verb

: to prove wrong by argument or evidence : show to be false or erroneous

: to deny the truth or accuracy of

refuted the allegations

refutable

ri-ˈfyü-tə-bəl

adjective

refutably

ri-ˈfyü-tə-blē

adverb

refuter noun

Example Sentences

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web Spears refuted the Times’ story the day after it was published. —

Nick Alvarez | Nalvarez@al.com, al, 31 May 2023 Some were consistent with Dunn’s result, and some refuted it. —

Viviane Callier, Scientific American, 17 May 2023 Phoenix Suns' refute Diamondbacks Sports Group's claims Suns and Phoenix Mercury CEO Josh Bartelstein issued a statement in response to Diamond Sports Group’s claims last week. —

Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 3 May 2023 Fluctuations in the weather don’t refute clear long-term trends in the climate. —

Jeremy P. Shapiro, The Conversation, 2 May 2023 Judge Hall also cited several recent Eastern District court decisions that supported Campbell's position, pointedly noting that Ms. Henry didn't bother to mention and refute those precedents. —

Glenn G. Lammi, Forbes, 19 Apr. 2023 Potes said he was asked to refute reports that he had been detained for alleged links to criminal gangs. —

Diana Durán, Washington Post, 15 May 2023 Witnesses refuted Perry’s claim that Foster had raised the gun. —

Andrea Marks, Rolling Stone, 10 May 2023 Kentucky Derby-Winning Jockey Suspended for Careless Riding, His Fifth Ban in Nine Months Joseph refuted the concerns, and told NBC that investigators from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission met with him after the deaths. —

Natasha Dye, Peoplemag, 5 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'refute.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.