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
Importantly, there was no significant difference in recovery between people who were debriefed and those who were not.
—
Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Less than 24 hours after the meetings with Trump, the European Union leaders who were present were in virtual sessions debriefing their counterparts.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 20 Aug. 2025
The announcement came just one day after Zelenskyy and several European leaders gathered at the White House to debrief following Trump's high-stakes summit with Putin in Alaska.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Leah, Serena, and JaNa go to Malibu Wines to debrief on recent events.
—Olivia Crandall, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debrief
Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Less than 24 hours after the meetings with Trump, the European Union leaders who were present were in virtual sessions debriefing their counterparts.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 20 Aug. 2025
The announcement came just one day after Zelenskyy and several European leaders gathered at the White House to debrief following Trump's high-stakes summit with Putin in Alaska.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Leah, Serena, and JaNa go to Malibu Wines to debrief on recent events.
—Olivia Crandall, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debrief
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debrief
Verb
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Police were interrogating Smith at the same time.—
Omar Jimenez,
CNN Money,
26 Oct. 2025
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For Findikoglu, whose designs interrogate traditional modes of femininity and unspools them into powerfully sensually looks, hair acts as armor and invitation into her gothic underworld.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Julie Mayhew, owner of Mayville Farm, a small farm sanctuary in Racine, said she's publicly questioned Shalom for years.—
Quinn Clark,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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Bessent was questioned by Democrats and some Republicans for his support, in the context of Argentina being a competitor to the US in exporting soybeans to China.—
Daniel Flatley,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This article is part of our Fast Lane Living series, examining the inner workings (practical and luxurious) of Formula One’s traveling circus.—
Patrick Iversen,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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The Public Utilities Board in Singapore pilots this method, and Japan examines PRO integration at coastal industrial locations where existing processes offer operational advantages.—
Tejasri Gururaj,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debrief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debrief. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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