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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 The record amount of equity in the sale debunks the notion that NFL rules might put a lid on how much a franchise could fetch. — Michael Ozanian, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026 The doc debunks his claim that people will be able to live on the red planet in a self-sustaining city in 20 years. — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 8 Sep. 2026 Ironically, a similar claim was also made concerning Knight and Shakur; however, Davis’ admissions and conviction ultimately debunk that theory. — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 2 Sep. 2026 There are also unfounded theories about its consequences, which Doricko has spent time on social media trying to debunk. — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for debunk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debunk
  1. refute
  2. expose
  3. disprove
  4. uncover
  5. discredit
Verb
  • However, in July, Wayne released a message refuting reports of an engagement, referring to a relationship with someone in the past tense, albeit without mentioning them by name.
    — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • And Brashares’ own wedding dress story doesn’t exactly refute that feeling.
    — Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of refute
Verb
  • Silver found that prisoners remained exposed to grave threats of harm and suffering because of systematic deficiencies in their healthcare.
    — Jacques Billeaud, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Advertisers have, for decades, struggled to determine exactly how many people were exposed to a commercial, but that task has become exponentially more difficult in the digital age.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of expose
Verb
  • Prosecution focused on affair, alleged intruder The prosecution focused its case on Flynn’s secret affair and disproving his claim that an intruder broke into their home.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026
  • During cross-examination on Tuesday, Kosowski asked a detective to lift a cart with a person onto a desk in an attempt to disprove the state's theory, which the judge did not allow.
    — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of disprove
Verb
  • There’s a place for topical solutions and other hair loss treatments (including minoxidil), but blood tests are the first step to uncovering the underlying cause of shedding.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Judges and prosecutors who had uncovered and investigated the corruption emerged from that period with extraordinary political authority, presenting themselves as a check on a political class that had failed the Brazilian people.
    — MATIAS SPEKTOR, Foreign Affairs, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of uncover
Verb
  • Some of its members have advocated for open borders, and believe gender is a social construct, both of which have been fodder for inflammatory social media content from those seeking to discredit the philosophy.
    — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2026
  • According to Cara Robertson’s 2019 book The Trial of Lizzie Borden, her defense team struggled to thread the needle between explaining the bloody rags without offering the prosecution a new lane to discredit her.
    — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of discredit

Browse Nearby Words

debugs
debunk
debunked
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Debunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debunk. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All