refuted; refuting
Synonyms
Examples of refute in a Sentence
But for every study that shows acid rain is damaging frogs, another one refutes it.
—
Emily Yoffe, New York Times Magazine, 13 Dec. 1992
And it violates the basic tenet of historical method: that the historian be alert to the negative instances that would refute his thesis and to alternative explanations that would be more plausible than his own.
—Gertrude Himmelfarb, The New History and the Old, 1987
It is not necessary to refute such an argument point by point …
—Denis Goulet, Center Magazine, May 1969
We refute these aspersions whether they come from our best friends or our worst foes.
—Sir Winston Churchill, address in House of Commons, 18 Jan. 1945,
in Nathan Aus, ed., Voices of History 1945–46, 1946
The lawyer refuted the testimony of the witness.
He refutes the notion that he's planning to retire soon.
She refuted the allegations against her.
Emily Yoffe, New York Times Magazine, 13 Dec. 1992
And it violates the basic tenet of historical method: that the historian be alert to the negative instances that would refute his thesis and to alternative explanations that would be more plausible than his own.
—Gertrude Himmelfarb, The New History and the Old, 1987
It is not necessary to refute such an argument point by point …
—Denis Goulet, Center Magazine, May 1969
We refute these aspersions whether they come from our best friends or our worst foes.
—Sir Winston Churchill, address in House of Commons, 18 Jan. 1945,
in Nathan Aus, ed., Voices of History 1945–46, 1946
The lawyer refuted the testimony of the witness.
He refutes the notion that he's planning to retire soon.
She refuted the allegations against her.
Recent Examples on the Web
The White House, through White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates, refuted many of the claims the Journal made, insisting that Biden would meet often with his Cabinet members and their teams.
—Gord Magill, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
Starbucks refuted the union’s account, saying in a statement that the company remains committed to reaching a final framework agreement.
—Lauren Irwin, The Hill, 18 Dec. 2024
Even though that study has been widely debunked and refuted, and modern studies continue to consistently show that shots are safe, the idea that vaccines are linked to autism persists, without evidence, among some vaccine skeptics.
—Simmone Shah, TIME, 11 Dec. 2024
The foodie feud between Ina Garten and Martha Stewart continues on, with the former refuting Stewart’s story about their falling out.
—Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 7 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for refute 
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Gord Magill, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
Starbucks refuted the union’s account, saying in a statement that the company remains committed to reaching a final framework agreement.
—Lauren Irwin, The Hill, 18 Dec. 2024
Even though that study has been widely debunked and refuted, and modern studies continue to consistently show that shots are safe, the idea that vaccines are linked to autism persists, without evidence, among some vaccine skeptics.
—Simmone Shah, TIME, 11 Dec. 2024
The foodie feud between Ina Garten and Martha Stewart continues on, with the former refuting Stewart’s story about their falling out.
—Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 7 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for refute
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Dictionary Entries Near refute
Cite this Entry
“Refute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refute. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
refute
verb
re·fute
ri-ˈfyüt 
refuted; refuting
: to prove wrong by argument or evidence : show to be false
refute the testimony of a witness
refuter
noun
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