1
as in refuting
to prove to be false
a Web site that assiduously debunks urban legends
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in exposing
to reveal the true nature of
the investigative reporter easily debunked the charlatan's claims of clairvoyance
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of debunking
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
Once someone has formed an opinion, debunking their belief can backfire, driving them to commit even more strongly to their mistake.
—Robert B. Talisse, The Conversation, 10 Apr. 2026
This is one of the most critical details in debunking the claim.
—Ryan Brennan
april 1, Sacbee.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Certainly, the association with Jeffrey Epstein is not especially helpful for debunking something nefarious.
—Mike Rothschild, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Since the 1990s, neuroscientists have accumulated evidence debunking this idea.
—Alicia Garceau, NPR, 6 Mar. 2026
Consensus Drives Stability I’m debunking the belief that stability comes from consensus.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 5 Mar. 2026
After stirring the pot on social media, Lisa Rinna is debunking the rumor that Colton Underwood stormed out of The Traitors reunion.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Feb. 2026
State officials later visited many of the facilities, debunking Shirley’s claims.
—St. John Barned-Smith, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Feb. 2026
Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 11 May 2026
Once someone has formed an opinion, debunking their belief can backfire, driving them to commit even more strongly to their mistake.
—Robert B. Talisse, The Conversation, 10 Apr. 2026
This is one of the most critical details in debunking the claim.
—Ryan Brennan
april 1, Sacbee.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Certainly, the association with Jeffrey Epstein is not especially helpful for debunking something nefarious.
—Mike Rothschild, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Since the 1990s, neuroscientists have accumulated evidence debunking this idea.
—Alicia Garceau, NPR, 6 Mar. 2026
Consensus Drives Stability I’m debunking the belief that stability comes from consensus.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 5 Mar. 2026
After stirring the pot on social media, Lisa Rinna is debunking the rumor that Colton Underwood stormed out of The Traitors reunion.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Feb. 2026
State officials later visited many of the facilities, debunking Shirley’s claims.
—St. John Barned-Smith, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debunking
Verb
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King’s break with Johnson was not about refuting his historic contributions.—
Mark Conway,
Baltimore Sun,
9 May 2026
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That’s not refuting the secrecy.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As her lie begins to unravel, her hunger for validation spirals into something far darker, drawing a devastated father into a desperate search and exposing a culture more obsessed with spectacle than consequence.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
16 May 2026
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Several towns split their votes between Lamont and Elliott, exposing a bitter divide within the state’s party over whether Connecticut should turn in a more progressive direction.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
16 May 2026
Verb
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Ultimately, the team’s work resulted in uncovering documentary evidence of more than 1,000 incidents of ghost voting, forgery and other forms of vote fraud.—
Bob Goldsborough,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
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Advertisement Marie discovers this information after uncovering that her daughter was having an affair with a married man.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debunking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debunking. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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