refute

verb

ri-ˈfyüt How to pronounce refute (audio)
Definition of refutenext
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

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 However, in July, Wayne released a message refuting reports of an engagement, referring to a relationship with someone in the past tense, albeit without mentioning them by name. — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 29 Sep. 2026 And Brashares’ own wedding dress story doesn’t exactly refute that feeling. — Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2026 At the root of it all is negligence, which is refuted and embodied by our challenging heroine. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2026 Following the bombshell story, the palace released a rare statement refuting Spencer’s claims. — Staff Author, InStyle, 21 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for refute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refute
  1. deny
  2. discredit
  3. reject
  4. disprove
  5. contradict
  6. overturn
  7. rebut
  8. discuss
Verb
  • The former president denied the accusations and called the proceedings politically motivated.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Trump on Monday alluded to his own frustrations over the reports, which include allegations that Guilfoyle tried to solicit money from a donor to pay off her credit card ahead of her confirmation process (Guilfoyle has denied the story).
    — Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of deny
Verb
  • Its inclusion in the documentary has provided ammunition for Musk supporters and his lawyers to discredit the film, pointing to an unfounded conspiracy theory about SpaceX’s Starlink satellites interfering in the election.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Milli Vanilli won a Grammy, got all this attention and then got discredited and didn’t replace Barbra Streisand or Bruce Springsteen or Taylor Swift or the Eurythmics or The Rolling Stones.
    — Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of discredit
Verb
  • Justice Brett Kavanaugh quickly rejected the appeal without seeing any need to refer it to his colleagues, and the matter appeared to be closed—for an hour or so, anyway.
    — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
  • On the same day, Newsom also rejected a measure that would have stopped federal immigration enforcement officers from using their experience to obtain a state training waiver.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of reject
Verb
  • Less than a month after astonishing the world with its solution to the long-standing Navier-Stokes problem, OpenAI has released 722 maths papers, proving or disproving problems across numerous fields from algebraic geometry to number theory.
    — Will Barker, TheWeek, 9 Oct. 2026
  • His injuries acquire a spiritual significance that a scan can neither confirm nor disprove.
    — Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of disprove
Verb
  • In the postgame report, the head official contradicted that, saying New York did have their timeout.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • When a dismissal order and the driving record contradict each other, call the office that was supposed to transmit the update.
    — Karen Koehler, Kansas City Star, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of contradict
Verb
  • This caused the boat to overturn, sending everyone into the water.
    — David Goodhue October 12, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The databases used to check citizenship against voter registration lists can be outdated, said Freda Levenson, legal director of the ACLU of Ohio, which has sued to overturn the law.
    — Gary Fields, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of overturn
Verb
  • The foundation rebutted the claims, posting a response on its website.
    — Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Even that is too much, Stanley’s attorneys rebutted in court documents.
    — Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of rebut
Verb
  • The Next Generation Steps Up Sharing the stage with the executives were two members of the generation the panel was discussing.
    — Callum McLennan, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
  • After discussing the safety measures and hearing from those in attendance, Hall and Lett withdrew to discuss the vote over the phone with Eastern Commissioner Jamey Cope, who was absent for a conference.
    — Glory Reitz, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of discuss

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Cite this Entry

“Refute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refute. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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