as in to interrogate
to officially ask (someone) about a job that has been done or about an experience
Police debriefed the hostages upon their return. The pilot was debriefed after his flight.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of debrief
On the May 4 episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Angela debriefs her husband on the dramatic ending to the cast trip to Nashville.
—
Liza Esquibias, People.com, 5 May 2025
On a recent night, syndicate veterans debriefed 13 first-timers to learn their situations.
—Benjamin Cunningham Edu Bayer, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
Teams should debrief what went wrong without laying blame and reflect on the lessons gained for the future.
—Glenn Llopis, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
On the March 20 episode of The Kardashians, Kendall debriefed Kylie Jenner on the tense and emotional reunion Khloé, 40, had with her ex-husband Lamar Odom.
—Julia Moore, People.com, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debrief
Liza Esquibias, People.com, 5 May 2025
On a recent night, syndicate veterans debriefed 13 first-timers to learn their situations.
—Benjamin Cunningham Edu Bayer, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
Teams should debrief what went wrong without laying blame and reflect on the lessons gained for the future.
—Glenn Llopis, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
On the March 20 episode of The Kardashians, Kendall debriefed Kylie Jenner on the tense and emotional reunion Khloé, 40, had with her ex-husband Lamar Odom.
—Julia Moore, People.com, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debrief
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debrief
Verb
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In October, Kennedy and other members of the Civilian Oversight Commission spent five hours interrogating Fernandez and former homicide Det.—
Connor Sheets,
Los Angeles Times,
6 June 2025
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The men were interrogated for three weeks on suspicions that included conspiring to endanger lives on the roads; then they were put under house arrest, but finally released without charges, apparently after the withdrawal.—
Gershom Gorenberg,
The Atlantic,
30 May 2025
Verb
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Some might find the introduction of a major conflict — when a different date turns nightmarish for Sophie, causing Lucy to question her certainties about what makes a good match and berate herself for failing to spot red flags — to be a heavy-handed nudge toward a resolution.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2025
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The announcement also prompted concern among bloggers who write about Disney parks in California and Florida, who questioned the impact the restrictions could have on the thousands who visit the parks each year from Venezuela.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
8 June 2025
Verb
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Greenfield spent time with the series participants like Shear in their home and school environments, and with the young people’s permission examined their social media accounts.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
13 June 2025
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The Department routinely examines all insurance companies.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debrief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debrief. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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