refute

verb

re·​fute ri-ˈfyüt How to pronounce refute (audio)
refuted; refuting

transitive verb

1
: to prove wrong by argument or evidence : show to be false or erroneous
2
: to deny the truth or accuracy of
refuted the allegations
refutable adjective
refutably adverb
refuter noun

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 1945–461946
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 Combs’ lawyer, Shawn Holley, shared a statement with Variety refuting Jones’ claims. Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 27 Feb. 2024 Debunking or refuting their assertions often requires offering nuanced or technical information that doesn’t have the same pizzazz. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2024 It was refuted by multiple studies, and a subsequent investigation showed his work to be bunk. Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2024 Nikki Haley appears to reach petition threshold for Indiana ballot, refuting Trump claims About 30 challenges were filed on candidates across Indiana ahead of the state's May primary. Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 16 Feb. 2024 But beyond accusing the Israeli military of planting evidence at hospitals, Hamas and Gazan officials have not directly refuted the evidence presented by Israel. Matthew Rosenberg, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2024 Biden angrily refuted those accusations Thursday night. Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 10 Feb. 2024 Earlier this year, the former majority stakeholder of the Dallas Mavericks argued in support of DEI after headline-grabbing attacks from Ackman, refuting his claim that including diversity in hiring decisions leads to less qualified candidates. Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 7 Feb. 2024 The problem with statistics is that they can be manipulated to support or refute any argument. Reinhold Ernst Tribune News Service, arkansasonline.com, 5 Feb. 2024

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.

Word History

Etymology

Latin refutare to check, suppress, refute

First Known Use

1545, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of refute was in 1545

Dictionary Entries Near refute

Cite this Entry

“Refute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refute. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

refute

verb
re·​fute ri-ˈfyüt How to pronounce refute (audio)
refuted; refuting
: to prove wrong by argument or evidence : show to be false
refute the testimony of a witness
refutable adjective
refuter noun

More from Merriam-Webster on refute

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