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
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Recent Examples of refute
Art Tinoco, the Riverside County registrar of voters, has refuted that number — saying it was based on a misunderstanding of raw data that had not been fully processed.
—
Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
But Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not refute the reports.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2026
So far, the legacy of Lerner’s work has not been to refute these fictionalizing methods directly but to build a channel through which his composite voice can travel of its own accord.
—Hannah Gold, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Iranian state media, however, reportedly refuted the president's claims hours later.
—Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for refute
Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
But Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not refute the reports.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2026
So far, the legacy of Lerner’s work has not been to refute these fictionalizing methods directly but to build a channel through which his composite voice can travel of its own accord.
—Hannah Gold, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Iranian state media, however, reportedly refuted the president's claims hours later.
—Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for refute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refute
Verb
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Sorokin was locked in from the drop of the puck, denying Colin Blackwell on a shorthanded breakaway 10 minutes in and making a handful of other 10-bell saves on quality scoring chances in the first period alone.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Omar, 38, eventually married Hirsi legally in a 2018 ceremony before the two divorced after it was alleged that Omar was having an affair with her chief fundraiser Tim Mynett, who denied the claim.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Dublin congressman told KRON that the White House hopes to discredit him in the race as a frequent critic and to boost the chances of his Republican rivals.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
29 Mar. 2026
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That is certainly one way to discredit someone.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Olsson rejects The Athletic’s offer to take cover inside the coffee shop.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
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Last week, for example, the UK government rejected plans by a Chinese company, Ming Yang, to invest in a Scottish factory to produce wind turbine blades, citing national security reasons.—
Andy Browne,
semafor.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Trump’s bogus claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him has been disproved time and again — in court, recounts, research and investigative reporting.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
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However, Nick's attorneys countered that these findings didn't necessarily disprove his version of the events.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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As former Meta executive Brian Boland told CNBC, the company appeared to portray a public image that contradicted what its internal research was showing.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
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Investigations by the Georgia secretary of state and independent reviews contradict the core allegations of the affidavit, which relies on witnesses who lack credibility and have biases that weren't disclosed to the magistrate judge, Lowell argued.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Forty-five years after Wong Kim Ark’s victory, the justices were pushed – after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor – to overturn that ruling and revoke citizenship for Japanese Americans born in the United States.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
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This week’s wins could unleash a barrage of new lawsuits, even if the verdicts are overturned in the appellate courts, as the companies, their supporters, and many 1st Amendment experts expect.—
Sonja Sharp,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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When Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu posted videos to rebut viral claims of his death, Grok declared the footage fake — swiftly debunked, yet already spread.—
Hollie McKay,
Deadline,
29 Mar. 2026
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Testimony by Termini and Miles is intended to directly rebut DraftKings’ assertions and to help convince Judge Pratt that DraftKings’ use of NCAA trademarks is atypical, unauthorized and warranting of a TRO.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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On Monday, Canales also discussed his excitement in getting to work with new backup QB Kenny Pickett.—
Mike Kaye
April 1,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Apr. 2026
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The two leaders discussed progress made during ongoing operations to eliminate Iran’s ability to attack other countries, Hawkins said in a statement.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Refute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refute. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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