as in interrogating
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 debriefing
Since making their water landing, the three Americans and one Canadian who set out on the lunar journey have been busy, spending recent weeks reuniting with family, debriefing the mission and making media appearances – all while adapting to life back on Earth.
—
Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Apart from debriefing after the trip to the winery, this was a big episode for dates.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 13 Apr. 2026
Chapman, who worked long hours debriefing Marquez over the years and shepherded his grand jury testimony, grew emotional while talking about Marquez’s qualities as a wonky engineer who could talk endlessly about the inner workings of the ComEd’s electrical grid.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
Health care workers may dip into depression and substance abuse, and Rau seeks to counter that by debriefing his staff after tragedies and encouraging them to reach out to one another.
—Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 29 Dec. 2025
For Morgan, making a video at the end of the day, debriefing all aspects of the long, grueling days of recruitment, was never going to be a polished piece of content.
—Tabitha Parent, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Apart from debriefing after the trip to the winery, this was a big episode for dates.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 13 Apr. 2026
Chapman, who worked long hours debriefing Marquez over the years and shepherded his grand jury testimony, grew emotional while talking about Marquez’s qualities as a wonky engineer who could talk endlessly about the inner workings of the ComEd’s electrical grid.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
Health care workers may dip into depression and substance abuse, and Rau seeks to counter that by debriefing his staff after tragedies and encouraging them to reach out to one another.
—Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 29 Dec. 2025
For Morgan, making a video at the end of the day, debriefing all aspects of the long, grueling days of recruitment, was never going to be a polished piece of content.
—Tabitha Parent, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debriefing
Verb
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The same instinct to accumulate without interrogating shows up everywhere.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
2 June 2026
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Afterward, he was forced into a truck, where agents continued interrogating him after finding contacts linked to Argentine judicial agencies on his cellphone.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 May 2026
Verb
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But now parents – and one county commissioner – are questioning the role technology plays in learning.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
2 June 2026
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Reyes was taken into custody by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office and turned over to the FBI for questioning, according to the documents.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Since arriving in Atlanta, conservators at Center for Puppetry Arts have been closely examining the nearly 900-pound figure to determine what restoration work may be needed before Kermit returns to public display.—
Brian Unger,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
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Investigators in Chicago are examining issues connected to that left-leaning nonprofit organization American Future Republic, which Hoffman is listed as the president over, according to Influence Watch.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debriefing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debriefing. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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