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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of refuted
Trump administration claims that Good attacked or tried to run over ICE agents before the shooting have been refuted by the videos captured during the incident.
—
Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
The New York Civil Liberties Union refuted Noem’s statements about sanctuary city laws.
—Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 8 Jan. 2026
That was later refuted, with team sources telling The Athletic that winning an NBA title was the focus.
—Zach Powell, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
In the days after Kirk’s killing, that concern spilled into public view, as attempts by Netanyahu and prominent supporters of Israel to canonize the Turning Point founder as a Zionist to the end were refuted by Kirk’s close associates, many of whom are major players in the MAGA movement.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
This was later refuted by a group of climate scientists.
—Rachel Frazin, The Hill, 28 Dec. 2025
However, both refuted talk of their differing opinions causing the fracture.
—Daniela Avila, PEOPLE, 20 Dec. 2025
Those allegations were never refuted by the administration.
—Eli Cahan, Rolling Stone, 19 Dec. 2025
In an email to Pitchfork, MOT’s Lucien Calkin refuted Clateman’s account and said there was no punch.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2025
Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
The New York Civil Liberties Union refuted Noem’s statements about sanctuary city laws.
—Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 8 Jan. 2026
That was later refuted, with team sources telling The Athletic that winning an NBA title was the focus.
—Zach Powell, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
In the days after Kirk’s killing, that concern spilled into public view, as attempts by Netanyahu and prominent supporters of Israel to canonize the Turning Point founder as a Zionist to the end were refuted by Kirk’s close associates, many of whom are major players in the MAGA movement.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
This was later refuted by a group of climate scientists.
—Rachel Frazin, The Hill, 28 Dec. 2025
However, both refuted talk of their differing opinions causing the fracture.
—Daniela Avila, PEOPLE, 20 Dec. 2025
Those allegations were never refuted by the administration.
—Eli Cahan, Rolling Stone, 19 Dec. 2025
In an email to Pitchfork, MOT’s Lucien Calkin refuted Clateman’s account and said there was no punch.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refuted
Verb
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At the time, ICE had requested local officials hold him in jail, but that request was denied, the affidavit said.—
Allison Gordon,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
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The agency that was set to investigate before being denied access to evidence and case materials is called the Force Investigations Unit of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, part of the Department of Public Safety.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The admission of the Afrikaners was based on claims, which have been discredited, that white South African farmers were being killed in large numbers.—
Julia Ainsley,
NBC news,
25 Nov. 2025
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Original studies suggesting a link were flawed and have been discredited.—
Beth Warren,
Nashville Tennessean,
22 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Still, this is early days, and there have been similar drugs which looked promising at the beginning but were later rejected due to safety concerns, Nadar said.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
-
That can feel quite personal, and maybe the parents feel rejected too.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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By an 11-1 vote, a Miami-Dade County jury originally sentenced him to death, but that sentence was overturned in 2017 after a new state law ruled it unconstitutional for a death sentence to be imposed without a unanimous jury verdict, according to the court records.—
Nicole Acosta,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
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Weinstein was found guilty of third-degree rape of Mann in early 2020, but that conviction was overturned in 2024 by a New York state appeals court.—
Adam Reiss,
NBC news,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But a witness’ account contradicted Siebenaller’s statement.—
Jamie Landers,
Dallas Morning News,
5 Jan. 2026
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Those findings, published in 2020, contradicted the earlier hypothesis and raised doubts as to whether the species should be considered a hominin at all.—
Cody Cottier,
Scientific American,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
All of these claims have been disproved.—
Carly Thomsen,
The Conversation,
17 Dec. 2025
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In the following days, authorities also located video surveillance that disproved James' alibi of walking their dog, while also finding footage of someone with his build running near the scene of the crime.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
15 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In Cruz’s hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee‘s subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights, ranking member Sheldon Whitehouse rebutted many of Cruz’s points.—
Molly Parks,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Jan. 2026
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When Butler was asked about taking on a bigger load if Curry misses time, Butler rebutted that his concern was not with the Warriors’ offense, but with their defense.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
27 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Avs challenged for offsides, and the goal was taken off the board.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
9 Jan. 2026
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The 90-minute delay challenged everyone in the arena to find ways to kill time.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Refuted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refuted. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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