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
That same year, Patricia Richardson refuted the possibility of returning to the characters while appearing on the Back to the Best podcast.
—
Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein did little to refute real-life romance speculation while showing off their on-screen chemistry in Office Romance.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 9 June 2026
California officials, including Secretary of State Shirley Weber, have repeatedly refuted claims of fraud and, in fact, have defended the state’s slower process as critical to ensuring the counts are accurate.
—Linh Tat, Daily News, 9 June 2026
At trial, defense lawyer Bob Varga refuted the accusation, noting there was no bodycam footage of the incident.
—Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for refute
Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein did little to refute real-life romance speculation while showing off their on-screen chemistry in Office Romance.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 9 June 2026
California officials, including Secretary of State Shirley Weber, have repeatedly refuted claims of fraud and, in fact, have defended the state’s slower process as critical to ensuring the counts are accurate.
—Linh Tat, Daily News, 9 June 2026
At trial, defense lawyer Bob Varga refuted the accusation, noting there was no bodycam footage of the incident.
—Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for refute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refute
Verb
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Shasta County Superior Court judges denied two prior lawsuits that aimed to block Measure B from appearing on the ballot, including one from Shasta County’s attorney Joseph Larmour, without ruling on the substance of their cases.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
13 June 2026
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Baldoni denied the allegations and maintained that Lively's claims were false.—
Janelle Ash , Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2026
Verb
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News organizations have always faced scrutiny from targets frustrated by elements of their reporting, or looking to discredit those stories altogether.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
15 June 2026
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Those accusations have long been discredited.—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Israel’s request to see the text was rejected by the US, an Israeli source told CNN.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
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The legal case, decided at an emergency hearing in a Los Angeles courthouse on Monday morning, was brought by an Iranian fan who said FIFA’s block impinged freedom of speech, but the judge rejected that argument.—
Henry Bushnell,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
Verb
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The rest of the movie then goes to great lengths to disprove this shaky strawman of its own creation.—
Ian Stokes,
Space.com,
12 June 2026
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These allegations will be disproved like all the rest.—
Liza Esquibias,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
Verb
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Mickelson hired Tom Clare, a top defamation attorney, who said video evidence contradicted the allegations.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
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Evidence presented at trial included forensic analysis from the crime scene, witness testimony, and medical findings that contradicted Parker’s account.—
Isabella Wandermurem,
Time,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Juan Soto's apparent homer leading off the ninth was overturned due to fan interference, sending Soto to second with a double.—
CBS New York Team,
CBS News,
13 June 2026
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In the second half, Team USA scored again, after receiving two yellow cards, one of which overturned.—
Zuri Primos
June 13,
Kansas City Star,
13 June 2026
Verb
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Paxton and Texas Tech will have the opportunity to try to rebut the Big 12’s arguments.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
15 June 2026
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Such interventions were rebutted by Dal Babu, a former chief superintendent of London’s Metropolitan Police.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
Verb
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The proposal could increase parking rates to as much as $3 per hour, though city leaders will discuss the final details at Tuesday evening's council meeting.—
Brady Halbleib,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
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Plot to rob a military ammunition plant Officials said the group discussed a backup plan to steal military ordnance after determining that its members lacked the expertise needed to manufacture homemade explosives.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Refute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refute. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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