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 data, however, debunks the notion that the Knicks’ rust will be a factor in the conference finals.
—
Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 18 May 2026
How the conspiracy ecosystem jumped on hantavirus Epidemiologist Katrine Wallace has built a large social media audience by debunking medical misinformation in real time.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 11 May 2026
Myths debunked With gas prices soaring, drivers are trying every trick in the book to save on fuel costs.
—Idaho Statesman, 11 May 2026
The conviction turned largely on eyewitness testimony that has since been recanted and scientific evidence that has since been debunked.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for debunk
Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 18 May 2026
How the conspiracy ecosystem jumped on hantavirus Epidemiologist Katrine Wallace has built a large social media audience by debunking medical misinformation in real time.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 11 May 2026
Myths debunked With gas prices soaring, drivers are trying every trick in the book to save on fuel costs.
—Idaho Statesman, 11 May 2026
The conviction turned largely on eyewitness testimony that has since been recanted and scientific evidence that has since been debunked.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for debunk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debunk
Verb
-
California officials, including Secretary of State Shirley Weber, have repeatedly refuted claims of fraud and, in fact, have defended the state’s slower process as critical to ensuring the counts are accurate.—
Linh Tat,
Daily News,
9 June 2026
-
At trial, defense lawyer Bob Varga refuted the accusation, noting there was no bodycam footage of the incident.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2026
Verb
-
The novel painfully exposes the ruthless mistreatment and exploitation of both racehorses and humans in this era and tracks the ripples of that trauma through time.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
-
The fight makes its way to the penthouse, exposing Lestat as a real live vampire to his bandmates, who, up until now, thought the vampire thing was an elaborate bit.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
The timing of the declaration comes two weeks after OpenAI publicized one of its AI models as having disproved an 80-year-old mathematical conjecture in geometry.—
Jeremy Hsu,
ArsTechnica,
2 June 2026
-
There are a number of myths and legends surrounding Wilimowski, both good and bad, that are hard to verify or disprove.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
The epic journey of Altar Stone To uncover the secrets of the Altar Stone, researchers combined sandstone provenance analysis—also known as mineral grain dating—with ice flow modeling to identify potential sources and transport pathways.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
6 June 2026
-
Rush was arrested by the FBI on May 19 after an internal CIA investigation uncovered what officials characterized as potential criminal misconduct.—
Rena Rowe,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
If anything, they’ve been used to discredit her.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
-
Defense attorney Tom Mesereau was an expert at discrediting witnesses, subjects told the filmmakers, but certain key witnesses, like Janet Arvizo, struggled to connect with the jury on their own.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debunk. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
