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
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of refute
The Department of Homeland Security refutes that claim.
—
Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2025
However, when reports that Musk could depart the White House in May surfaced, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt refuted them.
—Allison Pecorin, ABC News, 14 Apr. 2025
Live Nation has refuted the allegations, saying that its business practices not only comply with antitrust law but also benefit consumers via superior methods of ticketing.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 9 Apr. 2025
In an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court, acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris argued that the district judge did not have the power to grant reinstatement to thousands of probationary workers, and refuted that OPM had directed the firings in the first place.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for refute
Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2025
However, when reports that Musk could depart the White House in May surfaced, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt refuted them.
—Allison Pecorin, ABC News, 14 Apr. 2025
Live Nation has refuted the allegations, saying that its business practices not only comply with antitrust law but also benefit consumers via superior methods of ticketing.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 9 Apr. 2025
In an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court, acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris argued that the district judge did not have the power to grant reinstatement to thousands of probationary workers, and refuted that OPM had directed the firings in the first place.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for refute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refute
Verb
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The state also was denied an emergency order to block Musk’s exercise of sweeping power over the federal budget.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2025
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Chemicals at the port were suspected to have fueled the explosion, but the exact cause was not clear and Iran's Defence Ministry denied international media reports that the blast may be linked to the mishandling of solid fuel used for missiles.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Biden’s actions continue to discredit the legitimacy of our judicial system.—
Carl Burdette,
Baltimore Sun,
21 Apr. 2025
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The current page suggests this paper's explicit intention was to discredit the lab leak theory and remove any doubt that the origins were of natural origin.—
Youri Benadjaoud,
ABC News,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Guo, the spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, rejected Trump’s assertions suggesting progress toward a trade deal.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2025
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Hours before the scheduled execution on Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a final appeal by Mendoza's attorneys to stop the execution.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Along the way, each antihero is forced to confront the most unpleasant corners of their mind, and Russell, as an accomplished former hockey player, was eager to disprove anyone who wrote Thunderbolts* off as just another superhero team-up.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2025
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Ever since, her prolific film career has defied stereotypes around women in comedy; forever disproving the notion that beautiful women are not funny, or able to laugh at themselves.—
Jessica Ourisman,
Forbes.com,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The zoning commission’s recommendations contradicted the map 29% of the time.—
Jaime Moore-Carrillo,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Apr. 2025
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Coyle’s assertion about what’s making life worse (inequality) contradicts the part about what makes life better.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The case had long been viewed by Palin and other conservatives as a possible vehicle to overturn the 1964 U.S. Supreme Court landmark New York Times v. Sullivan.—
Luc Cohen,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
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Still to be determined is Vessel’s plan in Glastonbury; the town rejected it, and Vessel won a Superior Court lawsuit to overturn that decision.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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This led to an exchange between the three men, during which Rogan and Smith attempted to rebut the allegation.—
Luke Gentile,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Apr. 2025
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The trolls ignore Reed’s efforts to offer the estate a platform to rebut Robson and Safechuck’s allegations.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
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These topics and more will continue to be discussed leading up to the draft.—
Mark LaSota,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
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Putin also discussed Iran's nuclear program with Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said during his visit to Moscow, the Kremlin said, as Oman continues its mediation efforts between Tehran and Washington.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Refute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refute. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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