1
as in to refute
to prove to be false
a Web site that assiduously debunks urban legends
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of debunk
Jessica Alba's beau just quietly debunked whispers that the actress is secretly dating an NFL star.
—
Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Mar. 2026
Historically, home-court advantage can go a long way, although last season’s playoffs somewhat debunked that theory.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026
But prosecutors have asked defense attorneys to accept as fact a series of stipulations, based on rumors and, in some instances, debunked in the Haitian investigation.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
Here are the most common protein myths, debunked to clear up the confusion about this essential nutrient.
—Jillian Kubala, Health, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debunk
Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Mar. 2026
Historically, home-court advantage can go a long way, although last season’s playoffs somewhat debunked that theory.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026
But prosecutors have asked defense attorneys to accept as fact a series of stipulations, based on rumors and, in some instances, debunked in the Haitian investigation.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
Here are the most common protein myths, debunked to clear up the confusion about this essential nutrient.
—Jillian Kubala, Health, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debunk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debunk
Verb
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Why won’t they be refuted easily?—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
8 Mar. 2026
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The new ad campaign appears to be an extension of his work to refute the anti-California narrative.—
Taryn Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Those at greatest risk of having latent TB become an active infection are those who’ve been exposed to someone with active TB, people who have weakened immune systems from diseases such as HIV and diabetes, and young children under 5 years old.—
Chase Hunter,
Mercury News,
9 Mar. 2026
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His 1973 testimony during Watergate investigations exposed the recordings that documented Nixon’s involvement in the cover-up and ultimately led to his resignation.—
Douglass K. Daniel,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Those claims were later disproved by multiple findings that Iraq had no such arsenal, fueling recriminations from both political parties for years.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Mar. 2026
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Police alleged Petit turned toward them with the object and took a shooting stance, but videos disproved the claims, the plaintiff’s lawyers said.—
Andrea Klick,
Daily News,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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During the investigation, authorities uncovered email accounts that Alorwornu used to defraud UConn which were also used to defraud other universities out of more than $500,000, authorities said.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
7 Mar. 2026
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Understanding the Moon’s surface chemistry is key to uncovering its geology and history, but most previous maps relied on remote sensing combined with samples from near-side missions like Apollo, Luna, and Chang’e-5.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Election experts widely discredited the review as shoddy and partisan.—
Benjamin Swasey,
NPR,
9 Mar. 2026
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These accusations are coming from far-right and far-left accounts as well as anti-Israel groups, such as Students for Justice in Palestine, that are inclined to discredit Israel.—
Andrew Silow-Carroll,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debunk. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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