debunk
verb
de·bunk
(ˌ)dē-ˈbəŋk 
debunked; debunking; debunks
: to expose the sham (see sham entry 1 sense 2) or falseness of
debunk a legend
debunker
noun
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To debunk something is to take the bunk out of it—that bunk being “nonsense.” (Bunk is short for the synonymous bunkum, which has political origins.) Debunk has been in use since at least the 1920s, and it contrasts with synonyms like disprove and rebut by suggesting that something is not merely untrue but is also a sham—a trick meant to deceive. One can simply disprove a myth, but if it is debunked, the implication is that the myth was a grossly exaggerated or foolish claim.
Examples of debunk in a Sentence
The article debunks the notion that life exists on Mars.
The results of the study debunk his theory.
Recent Examples on the Web
The new bill follows Trump and Musk's claims that millions of dead people are fraudulently receiving Social Security, which has been debunked.
—
Matt Robison, Newsweek, 25 Feb. 2025
Check Your Fact and Lead Stories also debunked the claim.
—Chris Mueller, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2025
But researchers in Japan debunked any significant link in a paper published in 2019.
—Amanda Holpuch, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
The backfire effect is a phenomenon in which attempts to debunk a belief make a person double down on it.
—Harrison Monarth, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debunk
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Matt Robison, Newsweek, 25 Feb. 2025
Check Your Fact and Lead Stories also debunked the claim.
—Chris Mueller, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2025
But researchers in Japan debunked any significant link in a paper published in 2019.
—Amanda Holpuch, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
The backfire effect is a phenomenon in which attempts to debunk a belief make a person double down on it.
—Harrison Monarth, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debunk
Cite this Entry
“Debunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/debunk. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
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