as in disproving
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1
as in denying
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 discrediting
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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Recent Examples of refuting
Sharareh Drury, Entertainment Weekly, 22 May 2026
King’s break with Johnson was not about refuting his historic contributions.
—Mark Conway, Baltimore Sun, 9 May 2026
That’s not refuting the secrecy.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2026
Amidst the other claims, this one has hit hard at Beast Industries, and the company got quite personal in refuting it.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 22 Apr. 2026
At the start of Thursday’s stream, Feherty offered up a general criticism of the integrity of news organizations while refuting the reports.
—Matt Moret, New York Times, 16 Apr. 2026
The documentary is already stirring up buzz due to Odom’s recent comments refuting some of the details and recollections from his ex-wife Khloé Kardashian.
—Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Gould had re-released his own book with new material refuting those arguments.
—Megan Molteni, STAT, 7 Apr. 2026
Late in the evening, the sheriff's office posted that no injuries or deaths had been reported from the storm, refuting social media rumors.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
Anne Hathaway is refuting online speculation over whether she's had a facelift.
—Sharareh Drury, Entertainment Weekly, 22 May 2026
King’s break with Johnson was not about refuting his historic contributions.
—Mark Conway, Baltimore Sun, 9 May 2026
That’s not refuting the secrecy.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2026
Amidst the other claims, this one has hit hard at Beast Industries, and the company got quite personal in refuting it.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 22 Apr. 2026
At the start of Thursday’s stream, Feherty offered up a general criticism of the integrity of news organizations while refuting the reports.
—Matt Moret, New York Times, 16 Apr. 2026
The documentary is already stirring up buzz due to Odom’s recent comments refuting some of the details and recollections from his ex-wife Khloé Kardashian.
—Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Gould had re-released his own book with new material refuting those arguments.
—Megan Molteni, STAT, 7 Apr. 2026
Late in the evening, the sheriff's office posted that no injuries or deaths had been reported from the storm, refuting social media rumors.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refuting
Adjective
-
Creative works matter because they are shaped by people who are imperfect, contradictory, emotional, and alive.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2026
-
Right now, decisions are being made in a hurried, contradictory fashion.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
The best comparison probably takes the cycling historian all the way back to the Italian pair of Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali — but even then, the pair only shared the podium twice, with a five-year age gap between them and the Second World War denying Bartali several years at his peak.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
3 July 2025
-
There was no reason to reconsider denying Combs bail, Comey told the judge.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
3 July 2025
Verb
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Megan thee Stallion, legal name Megan Pete, sued Milagro Cooper last year for defamation, accusing her of working with Tory Lanez on discrediting her during his own trial with Pete where he was convicted of shooting her in the foot.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
24 Nov. 2025
-
At first the French suffered defeats, discrediting the Directory.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Gallen has been awful, so even with a better offense, the opposing offense gets a boost as well.—
David Troy OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
-
Amid the Ecuadorian crowd stood at least one supporter of the opposing team.—
Eva Andersen,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
Verb
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Both candidates emphasized local issues throughout their campaign, with a focus on rejecting corruption and bringing integrity and honesty to city hall.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
10 Dec. 2025
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Coalition members are also critical of the EU, rejecting policies particularly on environment and migration.—
Karel Janicek,
Fortune,
9 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The first touched down in Lady Lake, lifting roofs off homes and overturning mobile homes.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 June 2026
-
Unbelievably, the referee listened to Prince Fahad, before agreeing with him and overturning the goal.—
Jonathan Thompson,
Travel + Leisure,
10 June 2026
Verb
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The group says that carveout opened a political pathway to faster access to federal records, contradicting FOIA’s requirement that agencies handle requests in a content-neutral manner.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Dec. 2025
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Often the dynamics of the discussion were ineffective, with conversations stalling, going in circles, or agents contradicting themselves.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
2 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The newest data fits a trend, alongside news that Chicago once again has the country’s busiest airfield and is a top tourist destination, disproving the narrative that the city is shrinking, said Erin Connelly, communication director for Mayor Brandon Johnson.—
Robert McCoppin,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
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Discounting the Patterson-Gimlin film is one thing; disproving the existence of giant humanoid creatures is another.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Refuting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refuting. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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