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 Since then, other sources have debunked Meghan’s claims and alleged that she’s made an enemy of The Gentlemen creator Guy Ritchie. — Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 19 Oct. 2026 Many had been examined ad nauseam, including by those at the reception, and roundly debunked. — Andy Mannix, ProPublica, 19 Oct. 2026 Election officials are debunking a years-old conspiracy theory. — Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026 The ergot theory, despite being debunked within a year of being published, has continued to spread and thrive like fungus on rye. — Jennifer Byrne, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for debunk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debunk
  1. refute
  2. expose
  3. disprove
  4. uncover
  5. discredit
Verb
  • The Chinese government has refuted the claims as lies and defended its practice and policy in Xinjiang as fighting terror and ensuring stability.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026
  • OpenAI’s proof provides an algorithm to solve 3-SAT that is just a tiny bit faster than exponential time, refuting ETH.
    — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of refute
Verb
  • But whether a particular company's systems were compromised — and whether customer data was exposed — depends on the circumstances of each case.
    — Morgan Stephens, Baltimore Sun, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The deployment of cringe might seems like a ridiculous, even unconscious, exercise by an administration that – as with the five-day tenure of former press secretary Katie Zacharia shows – regularly exposes itself to derision and satire.
    — Matthew N. Hannah, The Conversation, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of expose
Verb
  • Folklorists don’t study such stories in order to disprove them.
    — Jeffrey Tolbert, The Conversation, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Mere hours after OpenAI’s announcement, Anthropic posted its own independent result disproving ETH, based on work by an internal Anthropic model.
    — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of disprove
Verb
  • Season broth with salt and freshly ground black pepper and simmer, uncovered, until flavors come together and broth is rich tasting, about 20 minutes.
    — Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The program, named Operation Janus, initially uncovered three hundred and fifteen thousand instances of missing fingerprint data in immigration files, which were flagged for further investigation.
    — Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of uncover
Verb
  • There are growing concerns from Congress and observers that the election will take place in a hostile environment and efforts to discredit and undermine the election are already underway.
    — Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The few instances of panic were magnified by newspapers eager to discredit the new medium of radio.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 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 1 Nov. 2026.

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