as in to interrogate
to officially ask (someone) about a job that has been done or about an experience
Police debriefed the hostages upon their return. The pilot was debriefed after his flight.
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Recent Examples of debrief
After the meeting, take time to debrief by asking questions and encouraging reflection.
—
Liz Guthridge, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
Models, editors, and movie stars slid into plush banquettes to debrief the evening.
—Ian Malone, Vogue, 6 May 2025
Christian Walker dressed, dwelled and debriefed there for the first 49 games of his Astros tenure.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 25 May 2025
Bobby Moynihan and Bryant play government officials debriefing the three citizens, but a troubling pattern soon emerges in their answers.
—Erin Strecker, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debrief
Liz Guthridge, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
Models, editors, and movie stars slid into plush banquettes to debrief the evening.
—Ian Malone, Vogue, 6 May 2025
Christian Walker dressed, dwelled and debriefed there for the first 49 games of his Astros tenure.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 25 May 2025
Bobby Moynihan and Bryant play government officials debriefing the three citizens, but a troubling pattern soon emerges in their answers.
—Erin Strecker, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debrief
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debrief
Verb
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In 1999, police interrogated Pierce, Welborn, Scott, and Springsteen, all of whom were now in their 20s.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
5 Aug. 2025
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After reading questionnaires, the judge interrogated us.—
Denise Amos,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 July 2025
Verb
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Parents had questioned the safety of the roof installation and associated smells, prompting the district to conduct air quality tests, according to an Aug. 1 letter to parents.—
Erick Trevino,
AZCentral.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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The crowd also questioned the president's approach to immigration enforcement.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Last year, the FAA's leadership under the Biden administration established a committee to examine the shortcomings of Part 450.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
14 Aug. 2025
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This would allow the team to examine offset sediment layers and date past quakes, providing a clearer picture of the fault's recurrence rate.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debrief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debrief. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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