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
On Tuesday afternoon, CBS very publicly refuted Colbert’s version of events in a statement, which led to Colbert’s rejoinder on his own show.
—
Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 18 Feb. 2026
But the company is refuting the claims.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026
But Kennedy was equally as defiant and doubled down on his stance, strongly refuting the allegations directed towards him.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Feb. 2026
The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office spokesman refuted that, however.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for refute
Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 18 Feb. 2026
But the company is refuting the claims.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026
But Kennedy was equally as defiant and doubled down on his stance, strongly refuting the allegations directed towards him.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Feb. 2026
The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office spokesman refuted that, however.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for refute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refute
Verb
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The judge, who is noticeably losing patience with Cox, denied a closed hearing.—
Amy DeLaura,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Mar. 2026
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Israel, which has denied conducting the strike, has focused on areas of Iran closer to Israel and hasn’t reported conducting any strikes south of Isfahan, 500 miles away.—
Julia Frankel,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The defense argues these lines of inquiry were unrelated to the felony charges and intended to discredit the protesters’ political beliefs.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
28 Feb. 2026
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All four men were subjected to police interrogation techniques that are now widely discredited for leading to false confessions.—
Austin Sanders,
Austin American Statesman,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Khan was sentenced Monday after San Joaquin Superior Court Judge Richard Mallett rejected his motion to withdraw his no contest plea in the criminal case, the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday in a news release.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
4 Mar. 2026
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McClain and three other runners who followed the lead vehicle appealed after their protest of the order of finish was rejected.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Those claims were later disproved by multiple findings that Iraq had no such arsenal, fueling recriminations from both political parties for years.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Mar. 2026
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Police alleged Petit turned toward them with the object and took a shooting stance, but videos disproved the claims, the plaintiff’s lawyers said.—
Andrea Klick,
Daily News,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Seen from Beijing, today's turmoil confirms rather than contradicts long-standing assumptions about global energy insecurity.—
Dewardric L. McNeal,
CNBC,
2 Mar. 2026
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Hours later, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, contradicted Murray, saying top administration officials and Senate Democrats were trading paper.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Seda also said that more than 100 vehicles were damaged, with some overturning on the roadside and in parking bays.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Mar. 2026
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Similar laws have been overturned by courts as an unconstitutional burden on voting rights.—
David A. Lieb,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Khalil has rebutted the government’s characterizations of his advocacy as bigoted or supportive of violence.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
3 Mar. 2026
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Standing in as her party's pick to rebut the president, ahead of his reelection bid no less, is a daunting task for any up-and-coming politician, but even some Republicans described Britt's performance with words like baffling and bizarre.—
Sam Gringlas,
NPR,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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One opportunity the company spent time discussing on the call was its growing relationship with hyperscalers in cloud security.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
4 Mar. 2026
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Paltrow hasn’t discussed the fate of her engagement ring since the news of her and Pitt’s breakup came out in 1997.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Refute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refute. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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