as in interrogating
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 debriefing
The final clip features Knoxville and Tremaine sitting on a motel bed, debriefing after a particularly dangerous stunt.
—
T.m. Brown,
CNN Money,
26 June 2026
Since making their water landing, the three Americans and one Canadian who set out on the lunar journey have been busy, spending recent weeks reuniting with family, debriefing the mission and making media appearances – all while adapting to life back on Earth.
—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Apart from debriefing after the trip to the winery, this was a big episode for dates.
—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
13 Apr. 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
Health care workers may dip into depression and substance abuse, and Rau seeks to counter that by debriefing his staff after tragedies and encouraging them to reach out to one another.
—
Andy Sheehan,
CBS News,
29 Dec. 2025
For Morgan, making a video at the end of the day, debriefing all aspects of the long, grueling days of recruitment, was never going to be a polished piece of content.
—
Tabitha Parent,
People.com,
2 Sep. 2025
T.m. Brown,
CNN Money,
26 June 2026
Since making their water landing, the three Americans and one Canadian who set out on the lunar journey have been busy, spending recent weeks reuniting with family, debriefing the mission and making media appearances – all while adapting to life back on Earth.
—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Apart from debriefing after the trip to the winery, this was a big episode for dates.
—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
13 Apr. 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
Health care workers may dip into depression and substance abuse, and Rau seeks to counter that by debriefing his staff after tragedies and encouraging them to reach out to one another.
—
Andy Sheehan,
CBS News,
29 Dec. 2025
For Morgan, making a video at the end of the day, debriefing all aspects of the long, grueling days of recruitment, was never going to be a polished piece of content.
—
Tabitha Parent,
People.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debriefing
Verb
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That separation allows teams to focus on interrogating problems rather than defending people.
-
Investigators sat across from nearly every young child at Skyline – many of whose nascent, swinging legs could not yet reach the ground from their chairs – interrogating them over their missing classmate.
Verb
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The video ends with the woman remaining at the scene until Broward Sheriff's Office deputies arrived and detained her for questioning.
-
This can be especially true for LGBTQ+ youth looking for support, teens questioning their identity, or young people whose religious, political or social views differ from those of their parents.
Verb
-
Drill Tech-Obayashi alleges Yuba Water is steering that investigation away from examining its own operational decisions while focusing instead on the contractor’s work.
-
The story reported that the victims had completed a safety course, while also examining state requirements and the large share of California boaters who had not.
Cite this Entry
“Debriefing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debriefing. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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