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
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.
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Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
The film spends the next hour and 50 minutes refuting that idea.
—Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 24 Oct. 2025
Mamdani has refuted those arguments and promised to work for all New Yorkers, including its Jewish population.
—Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 23 Oct. 2025
Like Dunbar’s speakers, Hughes’s dispossessed have no way out, and the poem implicitly refutes optimism regarding the Great Migration and racial progress.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for refute
Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
The film spends the next hour and 50 minutes refuting that idea.
—Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 24 Oct. 2025
Mamdani has refuted those arguments and promised to work for all New Yorkers, including its Jewish population.
—Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 23 Oct. 2025
Like Dunbar’s speakers, Hughes’s dispossessed have no way out, and the poem implicitly refutes optimism regarding the Great Migration and racial progress.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for refute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refute
Verb
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His latest appeal was denied for review by the Wisconsin Supreme Court in May 2025, at which time Zellner announced her intent to file a petition in federal court, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.—
Nicole Briese,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
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Earlier this month, Ted Cruz said that more than 50,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria since 2009, a claim the Nigerian government denies.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The study authors looked at 13 samples and found no traces of typhus, but their work does not discredit the findings of the 2006 study, the researchers noted.—
Taylor Nicioli,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
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Many fans have welcomed her to the two-time winners club, joining the likes of Tony Vlachos and Sandra Diaz-Twine, while others have discredited her triumph.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The 2023 edition opened a month later as Israel intensified its bombing campaign on Gaza, which has since killed more than 67,000 people, injured another 170,000 and razed the Palestinian territory to the ground, prompting accusations of genocide, which Israel has strongly rejected.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
30 Oct. 2025
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Wyden’s aide rejected outright the concept that the Finance Committee lacks proper jurisdiction.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Why do some people endorse claims that can easily be disproved?—
Abraham Rutchick,
The Conversation,
15 Oct. 2025
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Abramov points out that this does not disprove the Mars life explanation, but rather just presents an alternative, albeit much more probable, explanation for the evidence.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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However, a new report from Fox NFL insider Jay Glazer directly contradicts Jones' comment while adding another star pass-rusher to the fray.—
Andrew McCarty,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
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Michael Cohen, an attorney for California, said Huntington Beach’s voter ID policy contradicts state law, which says no governing body overseeing elections in the state, including charter cities, can require voter identification at voting centers.—
Claire Wang,
Oc Register,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The outcome, with no legal means to be overturned, further cements Biya’s decades-long grip on power and underscores the resilience of Cameroon’s entrenched political system, largely based on patronage.—
Amindeh Blaise Atabong,
semafor.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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Initially found guilty, both were ordered to pay €8,000 ($9,310) in damages to Brigitte Macron, and €5,000 ($5,810) to her brother, but the ruling was overturned in July, with that last decision now under appeal.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The sheriff rebutted these calls by explaining that due to the executive order signed by Braun in January and related directives from Attorney General Todd Rokita, he was forced to comply with federal immigration efforts.—
Noe Padilla,
IndyStar,
31 Oct. 2025
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Beijing rebutted the accusation, saying the Australian aircraft had intruded into Chinese airspace.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Despite the suspicions surrounding him, Drew became a fixture in the media, making television appearances to discuss Stacy’s disappearance.—
Alex Gurley,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
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On the latest Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams discuss some of the biggest sports business stories of the week, including the NBA betting scandal.—
Scott Soshnick,
Sportico.com,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Refute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refute. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
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