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
Relevance
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
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 refute
For its part, Google has been celebrating its AI developments, insisting that content producers don't know what's best for them, refuting any concerns with comments about search volume increases and ever-more-complex search query strings.
—
Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 20 May 2025
Max Hollein, anyway, refutes the idea that the collection is a bid for museum attendance, or for trendy attention.
—Nick Paumgarten, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
When contacted, Gillespie and cinematographer Denis Crossan both politely refuted Hewitt’s anecdote.
—Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 15 May 2025
The basic logic is that a court needs to know whether evidence exists to support or refute a plaintiff’s claims, and a fair and transparent legal process necessitates evidence be preserved.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for refute
Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 20 May 2025
Max Hollein, anyway, refutes the idea that the collection is a bid for museum attendance, or for trendy attention.
—Nick Paumgarten, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
When contacted, Gillespie and cinematographer Denis Crossan both politely refuted Hewitt’s anecdote.
—Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 15 May 2025
The basic logic is that a court needs to know whether evidence exists to support or refute a plaintiff’s claims, and a fair and transparent legal process necessitates evidence be preserved.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for refute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refute
Verb
-
The university in January 2024 denied Tucker’s appeal of the findings.—
Kenny Jacoby,
USA Today,
4 June 2025
-
Small business owners should not be denied access to their customers because of the government’s desire to place unnecessary restrictions on commerce.—
Julian Canete,
Oc Register,
4 June 2025
Verb
-
The former Minnesota Democratic congressman was widely shunned for running against Biden and discredited for his accusations that Biden wasn’t capable of being president again.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
22 May 2025
-
Injuries contributed to the Pacers’ series wins over the Milwaukee Bucks and the Cleveland Cavaliers, but claiming the Pacers only advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for a second straight postseason because of lucky breaks discredits their greatness.—
Jovan Buha,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Verb
-
In December, the state Legislature initially rejected the plan because of funding ambiguities.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 May 2025
-
The jury rejected the BBC's defense that its journalism was fair, responsible and in the public interest.—
Fatima Al-Kassab,
NPR,
30 May 2025
Verb
-
The number 2047 can be expressed as 23 times 89, disproving the conjecture.—
Jeremiah Bartz,
The Conversation,
30 May 2025
-
If criminal activity is suspected, it should be confirmed or disproved through due process in the court system, based on evidence.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
21 May 2025
Verb
-
The report and Shilling’s own experiences contradict how President Trump and administration officials have sought to frame her and other transgender troops’ service.—
Brooke Migdon,
The Hill,
5 June 2025
-
The most sophisticated marketing measurement should align with and quantify the realities marketers intuitively understand, not contradict them.—
Cody Greco,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
Verb
-
Foreign universities want to hire them May 25, 2025 The suit also seeks to overturn the Trump administration’s 15% cap on indirect costs related to research, which universities say are critical to carrying out their work.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2025
-
The suit, which hopes to overturn the law, argues that the city’s ordinance violates the First Amendment and does not apply to other forms of speech, like a political candidate asking for support or a church member proselytizing.—
Vivienne Serret,
Miami Herald,
28 May 2025
Verb
-
The prosecution called Hughes to attempt to rebut the defense’s suggestion that Ventura (and other women) could have left Combs.—
NBC News,
NBC news,
22 May 2025
-
But Richard’s testimony shows a pattern of physical violence and helps rebut the defense’s argument that the conduct was consensual.—
Tracy Wright , Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
20 May 2025
Verb
-
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell met with U.S. President Donald Trump today at the White House to discuss the state of the economy.—
Niamh Rowe,
Quartz,
29 May 2025
-
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney discussed the return of the artifacts in a meeting with Canadian Catholic Cardinals in Rome this month ahead of Leo’s first mass, Jaime Battiste, a member of parliament who was also at the meeting, told the Canadian Press.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Refute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refute. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share