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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Recent Examples of debrief
Fox said Williams was debriefed in September 2015 and signed a nondisclosure agreement.
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Allen G. Breed, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Shortly thereafter, Dowd found herself inside the FBI’s resident agency in Brevard County, where she was debriefed by a special agent.
—Adam Ciralsky, Vanity Fair, 19 Mar. 2026
Chapman, who worked long hours debriefing Marquez over the years and shepherded his grand jury testimony, grew emotional while talking about Marquez’s qualities as a wonky engineer who could talk endlessly about the inner workings of the ComEd’s electrical grid.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
Editor Joyce Eng discuss the new name for the SAG Awards, the Actor Awards, and Gerrad debriefs on the Governors Awards.
—Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debrief
Allen G. Breed, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Shortly thereafter, Dowd found herself inside the FBI’s resident agency in Brevard County, where she was debriefed by a special agent.
—Adam Ciralsky, Vanity Fair, 19 Mar. 2026
Chapman, who worked long hours debriefing Marquez over the years and shepherded his grand jury testimony, grew emotional while talking about Marquez’s qualities as a wonky engineer who could talk endlessly about the inner workings of the ComEd’s electrical grid.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
Editor Joyce Eng discuss the new name for the SAG Awards, the Actor Awards, and Gerrad debriefs on the Governors Awards.
—Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debrief
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debrief
Verb
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Employing a cast of non-professional locals, the film playfully interrogates the brutal but bungled occupation while also allowing its actors — many of whom are descendants of the fascists’ victims — to reinterpret and reclaim a chapter in their city’s past.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
15 May 2026
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Later, people tell me that the police interrogated her like a potential suspect—not harshly, just because of standard procedure.—
Akash Kapur,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Residents at a homeowner association meeting in April questioned how an Iron Mountain data center crept into their backyard unnoticed.—
Raisa Habersham,
Miami Herald,
16 May 2026
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Americans are seriously questioning his handling of key issues, such as inflation, immigration, jobs and foreign affairs.—
Tatishe Nteta,
Fortune,
16 May 2026
Verb
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After examining replays, Vazquez was awarded his first career MLS goal instead of it being deemed an own-goal.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 May 2026
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The research team examined the molar with a micro-CT scan and a scanning electron microscope.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debrief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debrief. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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