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
Yoon, who was the country's chief prosecutor before becoming president, defended himself in court, talking at length to refute the prosecution's allegations.
—
Joyce Lee, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
However reps of his team refuted the statement to Us Weekly.
—Jenzia Burgos, StyleCaster, 17 Apr. 2025
But two witnesses refuted his story, alleging Stribling tried to hide evidence.
—Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2025
The Autism Society of America also refuted the idea that rising autism prevalence signals an epidemic and said the data should not drive misinformation or political rhetoric.
—Jade Walker, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for refute
Joyce Lee, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
However reps of his team refuted the statement to Us Weekly.
—Jenzia Burgos, StyleCaster, 17 Apr. 2025
But two witnesses refuted his story, alleging Stribling tried to hide evidence.
—Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2025
The Autism Society of America also refuted the idea that rising autism prevalence signals an epidemic and said the data should not drive misinformation or political rhetoric.
—Jade Walker, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for refute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refute
Verb
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The state also was denied an emergency order to block Musk’s exercise of sweeping power over the federal budget.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2025
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In January, Iverson was denied qualified immunity by a federal judge for the shooting.—
Escher Walcott,
People.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Crucially, this emerging capability to emulate human thought–like behaviors does not confirm or discredit chatbot consciousness.—
Susan Schneider,
Scientific American,
1 May 2025
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Ministers accuse him of politically motivated investigations designed to discredit the government.—
Oren Liebermann,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The judge has now said that’s not good enough, and rejected Bungie’s motion to dismiss.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
3 May 2025
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Shirley has discovered that Conrad was rejected for a job at UNIT eight years ago.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
3 May 2025
Verb
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Along the way, each antihero is forced to confront the most unpleasant corners of their mind, and Russell, as an accomplished former hockey player, was eager to disprove anyone who wrote Thunderbolts* off as just another superhero team-up.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2025
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Ever since, her prolific film career has defied stereotypes around women in comedy; forever disproving the notion that beautiful women are not funny, or able to laugh at themselves.—
Jessica Ourisman,
Forbes.com,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Also, sources have pointed out that any major funding initiative using taxpayer dollars would contradict the administration’s rhetoric on trimming the fat from the federal budget and bringing down the national debt.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
2 May 2025
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That involvement appears to contradict the Trump Organization's second-term ethics pledge, which permits foreign business deals but explicitly bars partnerships with foreign governments.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The victory was later overturned into a no-contest while Garcia was suspended for a year by the New York State Athletic Commission.—
Jamie Barton,
CNN Money,
3 May 2025
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The Blues made the right call in the second period, too, getting Morgan Barron’s highlight-reel goal overturned due to Mason Appleton being offside.—
Jeremy Rutherford,
New York Times,
2 May 2025
Verb
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The new prime minister of Canada, the former central banker Mark Carney, was able to appeal to voters’ patriotism when rebutting Trump’s demand to annex his country, and his punitive tariffs.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2025
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This was easily rebutted because the country is number 1 in the world in oil and gas production.—
Ian Dexter Palmer,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Emotional Conversations Always End In Exhaustion, Not Resolution In marriages caught in the chaser-spacer dynamic, attempts to discuss feelings often devolve into emotional exhaustion rather than resolution.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
4 May 2025
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Panelists on Washington Week With The Atlantic joined to discuss.—
The Editors,
The Atlantic,
3 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Refute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refute. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
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