debriefs

present tense third-person singular of debrief
as in interrogates
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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of debriefs After the little girl’s exam, Welsh debriefs with the attending physician in the hall. — Courtney Crowder, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026 Editor Joyce Eng discuss the new name for the SAG Awards, the Actor Awards, and Gerrad debriefs on the Governors Awards. — Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debriefs
Verb
  • The movie’s take on Holmes directly interrogates the person to try to uncover the facts.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Wright also interrogates the boundary between severe mental illness and evil, and wonders whether, even in extreme cases, redemption might be possible.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • What Schrödinger wrote In his three-page manuscript, Schrondinger questions the restriction built into Whittaker’s reasoning and wonders why hidden variables had only two possible values.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The ad, which attacks the Democratic gubernatorial candidate and questions her mental health, has widened Republican divisions as Ohio’s governor and Senate races tighten.
    — Julie Carr Smyth, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The research, published Thursday in the scientific journal Current Biology, examines how permanent Daylight Saving Time could affect children traveling to school.
    — Faye Chiu, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The admiring portrait also examines Capra’s political timidity and broken collaborations, while showing how his films shaped Hollywood and Americans’ ideas about themselves.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Debriefs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debriefs. Accessed 3 Nov. 2026.

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