1
as in denies
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in discredits
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of refutes
There is extensive evidence — including Slack and WhatsApp messages, company documents, and witness testimony — that unequivocally refutes her claims.
—
Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
The woman vehemently refutes those claims to ABC News, and claims Aaron knew about her personal history, including marital status.
—ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
Heuermann's ex-wife refutes wrongful death lawsuit Heuermann's ex-wife, Asa Ellerup, and her daughter with Heuermann have been named in a wrongful death lawsuit that was brought by the son of victim Valerie Mack.
—Jeff Capellini, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
Washington has boosted claims that attacks on Nigerian Christians by militants constitute genocide — a characterization the Nigerian government strongly refutes.
—Adrian Elimian, semafor.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Browsh refutes the idea the NFL chose Bad Bunny as a political stunt.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2026
Data consistently refutes the idea that theaters and streaming are in a zero-sum battle for different audiences.
—Joseph M. Singer, Deadline, 6 Feb. 2026
The clear video evidence starkly refutes the party line.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2026
That statement alone refutes claims that IHRA is meant to silence debate.
—David Moore, New York Daily News, 11 Jan. 2026
Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
The woman vehemently refutes those claims to ABC News, and claims Aaron knew about her personal history, including marital status.
—ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
Heuermann's ex-wife refutes wrongful death lawsuit Heuermann's ex-wife, Asa Ellerup, and her daughter with Heuermann have been named in a wrongful death lawsuit that was brought by the son of victim Valerie Mack.
—Jeff Capellini, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
Washington has boosted claims that attacks on Nigerian Christians by militants constitute genocide — a characterization the Nigerian government strongly refutes.
—Adrian Elimian, semafor.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Browsh refutes the idea the NFL chose Bad Bunny as a political stunt.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2026
Data consistently refutes the idea that theaters and streaming are in a zero-sum battle for different audiences.
—Joseph M. Singer, Deadline, 6 Feb. 2026
The clear video evidence starkly refutes the party line.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2026
That statement alone refutes claims that IHRA is meant to silence debate.
—David Moore, New York Daily News, 11 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refutes
Verb
-
He has not been charged with a crime and denies any wrongdoing.—
Cristian Benavides,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
-
Combs denies all misconduct claims.—
Liza Esquibias,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Verb
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The praiseworthyness of having both sides of the debate evaporates when the host actively discredits the expert and reflexively enhances the legitimacy of the conspiracy theorist.—
Rafael Perez,
Oc Register,
1 Dec. 2025
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Yet despite its popularity, research discredits this long-standing belief.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Taiwan’s government rejects China’s sovereignty claims, saying only the island’s people can decide their future.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
10 June 2026
-
There’s already wide agreement within the denomination that its faith statement rejects the appointment of women as senior pastors who lead churches.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Democrats asked whether that includes federal court orders, and Mullin responded that depends on whether a higher court overturns a ruling.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
-
Supreme Court overturns convictions The unraveling began publicly in October 2023 when Murdaugh’s attorneys filed a motion for a new trial accusing Hill of jury tampering.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
Verb
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For a pivotal scene in which Marji publicly contradicts her teacher’s claim about political prisoners, Satrapi withholds background detail entirely, save for a whisper of trees outside a window.—
Hillary Chute,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2026
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None of this contradicts the reasonable half of the reform impulse.—
Shivaram Rajgopal,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, an employee uses AI to see if an instance can be found that disproves the claim that the fraud detection covers all possible bases.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
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Tootles’ death disproves this, showing that a hybrid being can die under extreme circumstances.—
Leia Mendoza,
Variety,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Rachel Comey, the brand, rebuts this claim.—
Maya Singer,
Vogue,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But Steve Wade, a senior director of operations and procurement at ARS, debunks that myth.—
Alora Bopray,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
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The data, however, debunks the notion that the Knicks’ rust will be a factor in the conference finals.—
Lev Akabas,
Sportico.com,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Refutes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refutes. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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