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
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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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Recent Examples of refute
The complaint then lists multiple examples refuting claims that were allegedly made out of context.
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Charna Flam, People.com, 1 Jan. 2025
By the time Community Notes or other fact-checkers flag and refute a post, the damage is often done.
—Peter Suciu, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for refute 
Charna Flam, People.com, 1 Jan. 2025
By the time Community Notes or other fact-checkers flag and refute a post, the damage is often done.
—Peter Suciu, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for refute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refute
Verb
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Is there some way that the Giants and Jets can get clipped for congestion pricing over on Route 3? People who still deny that climate change is real also believe that pigs can fly.Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 11 Jan. 2025
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While McMahon has denied the claims, the case remains active.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
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Beyond her work as a lobbyist, Bondi solidified her reputation as a Trump loyalist by defending him on the floor of the Senate during his first impeachment and helping his efforts to discredit the 2020 election results.Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 15 Jan. 2025
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The AfD has strongly rejected the designation, portraying it as a political attempt to discredit the party.Vanessa Gera, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2025
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While the Obama administration rejected Cheney’s outsized role for itself, Joe Biden still became a close adviser and helped achieve administration goals.Roy Brownell, Baltimore Sun, 18 Jan. 2025
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Greens, blues, and reds remain masculine while rejecting the conventions of more conservative styles.Ian Malone, Vogue, 18 Jan. 2025
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Regardless, long-term datasets show Earth’s climate is warming, and a comparison of polar sea ice extents on two random days does not provide enough information to confirm or disprove this trend.Kate S. Petersen, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2025
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As the two compete to disprove the existence of the other’s passion, they get caught up in an encounter of both the spiritual and paranormal, imbuing both teenagers with powers beyond belief.Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 Dec. 2024
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White House officials said on Friday that the truth behind the mysterious ailments known as Havana Syndrome was still unknown, contradicting a new intelligence assessment about what had befallen spies and diplomats for the last nine years.Julian E. Barnes, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
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Experts say that the atmospheric aerosol data used in the calculations could be behind the contradicting conclusions.Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 9 Jan. 2025
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That came in response to a Supreme Court ruling last year that granted Trump sweeping protections from criminal liability over his role in trying to overturn his 2020 loss to Biden.Chris Megerian, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025
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Fani Willis, a state prosecutor in Fulton County, Georgia, similarly charged Mr. Trump in a case related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results there.Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Smith penned his own letter to Garland on January 7, rebutting the Trump letter.CNN.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2025
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Copied Share Oregon fire officials say fire trucks weren't turned away over emissions Dennis Romero Oregon's state fire rebutted a false claim that firefighters headed to Los Angeles were turned away or delayed over a failure to meet California's strict emissions regulations.Alexandra Marquez, NBC News, 13 Jan. 2025
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Over Zoom, Yost discussed the shocking finale, including three major scenes at the very end, the especially surprising final sequence that could change everything, and what to expect from Season 3.Barry Levitt, TIME, 17 Jan. 2025
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Immigration as a major issue But when asked about other issues, such as cybersecurity or domestic terrorism, Noem often pivoted to discussing border security.Lexie Schapitl, NPR, 17 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Refute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refute. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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