debunk

verb

(ˌ)dē-ˈbəŋk How to pronounce debunk (audio)
Definition of debunknext
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

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 debunk Such claims – though widely debunked – have long found support in communities on the margins of one of the world’s most unequal societies, where unemployment and poverty are rife. — Ryan Lenora Brown, Christian Science Monitor, 26 June 2026 On social media, native Algerians have seen their image of Americans debunked by continuous kind gestures during the impromptu cultural exchanges. — Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 27 June 2026 Marlene Zuk, an evolutionary biologist and the author of a 2013 book that debunked some of Voegtlin’s arguments, recalled how the Paleo community dealt with this evidence that challenged their largely carb-avoidant worldview. — David Merritt Johns, The Atlantic, 27 June 2026 In a demonstration ahead of the product’s launch, NewsGuard COO Matt Skibinski showed how the chatbot debunked a piece of medical misinformation and guided the user to primary sources. — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for debunk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debunk
  1. refute
  2. expose
  3. disprove
  4. uncover
  5. discredit
Verb
  • Four fisher people from Indonesia’s Pari Island filed a legal complaint in 2023 against the Swiss construction company Holcim, which refutes their assertion that its climate change-causing emissions threaten their homes and livelihoods.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
  • Wainger also refuted the assertion that Pennel had expected to be arrested.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2026
Definition of refute
Verb
  • The team’s findings suggest that crushing concrete and exposing it to air during recycling or shallow burial could dramatically improve its ability to immobilize radioactive contaminants.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 3 July 2026
  • Rinse the blueberries under cold running water, gently swishing them around with your hands to ensure all the berries are exposed to water.
    — Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart, 3 July 2026
Definition of expose
Verb
  • And it’s left to the person it’s aimed at to disprove the association — after a bell has been rung that cannot be unrung.
    — Gary Grasso, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026
  • And more recently, a new general-purpose AI system from OpenAI disproved an important conjecture in combinatorial geometry.
    — Benjamin Skuse, IEEE Spectrum, 25 June 2026
Definition of disprove
Verb
  • Derived from a Central African shrub, the drug's ability to reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings were uncovered by accident, when Howard Lotsof, a 19-year old addicted to heroin, tried ibogaine out of curiosity in 1962.
    — Gavin Escott, USA Today, 6 July 2026
  • Your information could help uncover answers and drive future coverage.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of uncover
Verb
  • Kiryl Pazniak, 49, who hosted a popular political show on YouTube, has been convicted on the charges of discrediting Belarus and forming an extremist organization, the group said — accusations widely used by authorities to stifle critical voices.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
  • Green said earlier this year that Adebayo shouldn’t be underestimated and his 83-point game against Washington shouldn’t be discredited.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026
Definition of discredit

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debugs
debunk
debunked
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Cite this Entry

“Debunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debunk. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of debunk for Spanish Speakers

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