1
as in to refute
to prove to be false
a Web site that assiduously debunks urban legends
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to expose
to reveal the true nature of
the investigative reporter easily debunked the charlatan's claims of clairvoyance
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of debunk
This was unbelievable at the time, and has now been debunked by the latest files.
—
Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2026
His rigged election claims have been thoroughly debunked over and over again, ad nauseam.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Feb. 2026
Modern evolutionary biology and genomics debunk that flawed perspective, showing there is no hierarchy in evolution.
—Kevin Omland, The Conversation, 9 Feb. 2026
Trump’s election comment came in an interview Monday with a conservative podcaster and the Republican president reaffirmed his position in Oval Office remarks the next day, citing fraud allegations that numerous audits, investigations and courts have debunked.
—Kate Brumback, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debunk
Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2026
His rigged election claims have been thoroughly debunked over and over again, ad nauseam.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Feb. 2026
Modern evolutionary biology and genomics debunk that flawed perspective, showing there is no hierarchy in evolution.
—Kevin Omland, The Conversation, 9 Feb. 2026
Trump’s election comment came in an interview Monday with a conservative podcaster and the Republican president reaffirmed his position in Oval Office remarks the next day, citing fraud allegations that numerous audits, investigations and courts have debunked.
—Kate Brumback, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debunk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debunk
Verb
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This is clearly an attempt to refute the common—and correct—argument that tariffs are regressive, or disproportionately hurtful to lower-income people.—
Veronique De Rugy,
Oc Register,
28 Feb. 2026
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This is not to endorse or refute either claim but to note that when the dust has settled on Scream 7, supporters and detractors of the boycott will likely make definitive statements that are hard to prove.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The robot is built mainly from liquid crystal elastomers, a rubber-like material that changes shape when exposed to light.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Mar. 2026
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Amanda Kohr Crickets – After the disappearance of their first-place teammate, a group of competitive teen dancers and their stage moms begin to unravel, exposing the brutal cost of girlhood, ambition, and the need to be loved.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Those claims were later disproved by multiple findings that Iraq had no such arsenal, fueling recriminations from both political parties for years.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Mar. 2026
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Police alleged Petit turned toward them with the object and took a shooting stance, but videos disproved the claims, the plaintiff’s lawyers said.—
Andrea Klick,
Daily News,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In the waters off Singapore, a recently uncovered a shipwreck with a huge cargo of blue-and-white porcelain is shedding light on the storied Chinese craft produced during the turbulent era of the Mongol Empire.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
28 Feb. 2026
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Jiang and her team extracted samples from several human teeth uncovered during excavations at Jerash in the 1980s and analyzed them using two technologies.—
Durrie Bouscaren,
NPR,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The defense argues these lines of inquiry were unrelated to the felony charges and intended to discredit the protesters’ political beliefs.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
28 Feb. 2026
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All four men were subjected to police interrogation techniques that are now widely discredited for leading to false confessions.—
Austin Sanders,
Austin American Statesman,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debunk. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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