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
Starbucks refuted the union’s account, saying in a statement that the company remains committed to reaching a final framework agreement.
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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
The government is expected to refute the accusations about the tax credit management in the past two years, with some arguing that since many international producers abandoned Italy, causing Cinecittà’s revenues to decline.
—Alan Friedman, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for refute 
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
The government is expected to refute the accusations about the tax credit management in the past two years, with some arguing that since many international producers abandoned Italy, causing Cinecittà’s revenues to decline.
—Alan Friedman, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for refute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refute
Verb
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Addressing reports that a bird strike was the cause of the crash, Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae neither confirmed nor denied it.Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 30 Dec. 2024
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Michael LeBron wanted to rent a billboard in an Amtrak station, was denied, and ended up suing Amtrak over First Amendment rights.Peter Greene, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
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This is merely another attempt to discredit our founder and the company.Jenny Goldsberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 1 Jan. 2025
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In Allen’s case, this narrative sought to enlist journalists and news outlets in discrediting his own daughter’s account of being molested, Ronan Farrow said.Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 27 Dec. 2024
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In 2023, Cleveland-Cliffs made a $7 billion bid to acquire U.S. Steel, but the offer was rejected.Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025
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By March, 2014, all but one of the publishers had rejected the book, and Kim and Freeman parted ways.Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025
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Austin Kocher, a Syracuse University research assistant professor who used to run an Ohio immigrant rights organization, said Trump’s massive platform legitimized the hoaxes and kept them circulating long after they were disproved.Maria Ramirez Uribe and Amy Sherman, Journal Sentinel, 18 Dec. 2024
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Although the machines’ inventor is concerned with metaphysical questions—do intelligent robots disprove God’s existence?—his engineer son sees the potential for major profit and manufactures robots for sale around the world, with disastrous results.Elvia Wilk, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2024
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In the hours following the attack, the was some initial confusion about whether law enforcement was investigating it as a terrorist incident, as the New Orleans mayor and an FBI special agent gave contradicting answers.Siladitya Ray, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
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His support, which contradicts the beliefs of many Trump loyalists, largely reflects the sentiment of Project 2025—a policy agenda applauded by many of Trump's supporters.Mandy Taheri, Newsweek, 29 Dec. 2024
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Before the soldiers could enter the chamber, parliament unanimously voted to overturn martial law, leading to its end six hours later.Brady Knox, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 5 Jan. 2025
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Garvey served two years in prison before President Coolidge commuted his sentence in 1927, but he was deported to Jamaica, and his conviction was never overturned.Delano Massey, Axios, 4 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Shelton’s attorneys will have the chance to try to rebut the Clippers’ arguments in forthcoming court filings.Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 5 Jan. 2025
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The loss of the tape recording precluded the defense from presenting the only evidence which could conclusively rebut J.B.’s effort to bolster her own credibility.Liza Esquibias, People.com, 19 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Evenings, Jagriti and Dev would discuss their learnings.Kanak Kapur, The New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2025
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Wallace, an experienced racer himself, discussed how drastically the nurturing of young talent in NASCAR has evolved from past practices.Alex Harrington, Newsweek, 5 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Refute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refute. Accessed 10 Jan. 2025.
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