Synonyms of refuted

refuted

verb

past tense of refute

1

as in denied

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

• denied
• rejected
• contradicted
• disavowed
• disclaimed
• disowned
• disallowed
• repudiated
• negated
• gainsaid
• disconfirmed
• disaffirmed
• disproved
• rebutted
• traversed
• negatived
• challenged
• disputed
• confuted
• disagreed (with)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• confirmed
• admitted
• acknowledged
• owned
• allowed
• adopted
• conceded
• accepted
• submitted
• claimed
• asserted
• affirmed
• embraced
• announced
• declared
• maintained
• avowed
• verified
• espoused
• averred
• professed
• corroborated
• validated
• substantiated
• authenticated

2

as in discredited

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

• discredited
• overturned
• disproved
• rebutted
• challenged
• discussed
• falsified
• debunked
• questioned
• confuted
• disconfirmed
• belied
• confounded
• shot down
• contested
• doubted
• debated
• gave the lie to
• overthrew
• queried
• mistrusted
• mooted
• talked over
• hashed (over)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• established
• confirmed
• proved
• verified
• validated
• recorded
• showed
• supported
• documented
• evidenced
• witnessed
• identified
• corroborated
• demonstrated
• backed (up)
• attested
• substantiated
• illustrated
• certified
• evinced
• displayed
• manifested
• buttressed
• adduced
• authenticated

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of refuted

In October, the Chinese government refuted claims that its baby diapers contained a toxic chemical called formamide and declared the products safe. — Jeff Marks,kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026

Some suggested that one or more stars might orbit Betelgeuse; others found no evidence for such companions or actively refuted their existence. — Joe Rao, Space.com, 3 Nov. 2026

The Chinese government has refuted the claims as lies and defended its practice and policy in Xinjiang as fighting terror and ensuring stability. — ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026

New details were released Tuesday about the death of Heather Turner, as a private investigator hired by her family publicly refuted local law enforcement's official ruling of suicide. — La'tasha Givens, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026

Ramaswamy has also refuted allegations his fortune came from misleading investors. — Philip Elliott, Time, 19 Oct. 2026

But Wright, the center’s attorney, refuted this, telling The Times that two investigations were done by independent third parties. — Audrey McGlinchy, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026

But Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve refuted those ideas prior to her Game 2 first-round loss. — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 3 Oct. 2026

Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork refuted those reports multiple times. — Andrew Marchand, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026