1
as in to deny
to declare not to be true
while he was publicly refuting rumors of a merger, behind the scenes the CEO was working to effect that very outcome
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to discredit
to prove to be false
the victories of African-American athlete Jesse Owens in the 1936 Olympics effectively refuted the racial views of the Nazis
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of refute
Bovino appeared before Ellis on Tuesday after the plaintiffs accused him of throwing a tear gas canister into a crowd of demonstrators without justification or warning – a characterization DHS has refuted.
—
Devan Cole, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
Meghan’s team strongly refuted the claims.
—Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2025
While reflecting on the gossip fueled by her and Powell's chemistry both on and offscreen with Variety, Sweeney refuted the idea that the rom-com's stars leaned into the mystery shrouding their relationship.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Oct. 2025
Days later, Rose — who has been the president and CEO of both brands since 2023 — refuted the claim with a statement jointly posted on the official Miss USA and Miss Teen USA Instagram pages.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for refute
Devan Cole, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
Meghan’s team strongly refuted the claims.
—Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2025
While reflecting on the gossip fueled by her and Powell's chemistry both on and offscreen with Variety, Sweeney refuted the idea that the rom-com's stars leaned into the mystery shrouding their relationship.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Oct. 2025
Days later, Rose — who has been the president and CEO of both brands since 2023 — refuted the claim with a statement jointly posted on the official Miss USA and Miss Teen USA Instagram pages.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for refute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refute
Verb
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Despite vocal support from Aspire Capitol Heights families and a concerted effort from school leaders to prove that the school’s fiscal and academic issues could be solved, the board voted 4-1 to deny the school’s charter renewal.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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My mother has been denied access to medical care, the right to speak, and every basic human freedom.—
Kim Aris,
Time,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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To be put in this category is discrediting.—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
2 Nov. 2025
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Yet despite its popularity, research discredits this long-standing belief.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And the British nations, as ever, remained aloof, England rejecting a late offer to step in for Austria.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
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Democrats are pushing to extend soon-to-expire health care tax credits and reverse earlier Medicaid cuts, but Republicans have rejected those proposals.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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But hormone therapy isn’t for everyone, and some people are nervous to try this type of treatment due to a flawed study—which has since been disproved—that linked hormone therapy with cancer (more on that in a sec).—
Korin Miller,
SELF,
27 Oct. 2025
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Why do some people endorse claims that can easily be disproved?—
Abraham Rutchick,
The Conversation,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The true-crime trappings offered a pointed tool for presenting evidence that contradicted the husbands’ oblivious assertions.—
Paula Mejía,
The Atlantic,
2 Nov. 2025
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Thompson turned to Preston Mui, a senior economist at Employ America, for a sector-by-sector breakdown of job openings since ChatGPT’s release, and the findings actually contradicted the AI narrative.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Writing for the 4-3 majority of the court, Justice Shawn Womack overturned a decision by 16th Judicial Circuit Judge Holly Meyer requiring the Cleburne County Clerk to count the signatures on the petition and certify the measure, which had initially been pushed for the 2024 election.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Nov. 2025
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Helm topples trees, uproots crops, overturns feed stacks, steals loose blankets.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The cast largely helps to keep things grounded, rebutting the histrionics by treating each claim with legitimacy or reciting each gauche line with apt conviction.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
6 Nov. 2025
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Johnson's attorney denies allegations against the police chief Johnson's attorney, Michael Fox, rebutted the allegations against his client.—
Adrienne Davis,
jsonline.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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For example, as part of its agreement with OpenAI, Nvidia has reportedly discussed guaranteeing loans the startup would use to build its own data centers—a move that could leave the chipmaker on the hook for billions in debt if OpenAI can’t repay.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
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This piece discusses, in detail, the finale of The Lowdown.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Refute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refute. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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