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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of refute
Giuliano told Venezuelan news site TalCual that Saab may make an appearance to refute the arrest allegations himself but was consulting with the government about what had happened.
—
Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Both sides were also allotted time to refute arguments from the other side.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2026
On Tuesday, Cordero-Stutz’s office issued a statement refuting a recent school system memo that had said there was a deal for the Sheriff’s Office to help process outstanding bus-camera violations that had been issued before last year’s suspension but are currently stalled in court.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 4 Feb. 2026
Local police and the city manager refuted the claims, saying there was no evidence to support them.
—Suzanne Gamboa, NBC news, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for refute
Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Both sides were also allotted time to refute arguments from the other side.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2026
On Tuesday, Cordero-Stutz’s office issued a statement refuting a recent school system memo that had said there was a deal for the Sheriff’s Office to help process outstanding bus-camera violations that had been issued before last year’s suspension but are currently stalled in court.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 4 Feb. 2026
Local police and the city manager refuted the claims, saying there was no evidence to support them.
—Suzanne Gamboa, NBC news, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for refute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refute
Verb
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Aljorna and Sosa-Celis denied assaulting the officer.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
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Decades later, Faraci cooperated with Modrowski’s lawyer during the post-conviction proceedings and submitted two affidavits in 2019 and 2011 denying Modrowski was involved, court records show.—
Christy Gutowski,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In some of the depositions, State Farm attorneys attempted to discredit their testimony.—
J.C. Hallman,
Oklahoman,
10 Feb. 2026
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During closing arguments, prosecutors used the four photographs at the center of the controversy to discredit the testimony of Link’s mother, the order says.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Zelenskyy previously stressed that the timing and format of any elections are matters solely for Ukraine and its citizens, rejecting any suggestion that the Kremlin could dictate the process.—
Ashley Carnahan,
FOXNews.com,
11 Feb. 2026
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The council also rejected, narrowly, a flat 2% increase suggested by Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez in a 7-8 vote.—
Sandra McDonald,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Since his death in 1996, scientists have tried to prove or disprove them.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
13 Feb. 2026
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But Kennedy, in Senate testimony, has argued that a link between vaccines and autism has not been disproved.—
Matt Brown,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Every possible explanation that isn’t ruled out or contradicted by the already-existing data should be considered, and each hypothesis should be tested and examined as rigorously as possible.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
10 Feb. 2026
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But surveillance footage released by Patel’s former attorney appeared to contradict the woman’s version of events, and the case quickly made international headlines.—
Shaddi Abusaid,
AJC.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In 2022, the same court overturned a decision by Leon also dealing with military retiree jurisdiction.—
Taylor Seely,
AZCentral.com,
13 Feb. 2026
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Renewables are being deployed aggressively across much of the world even as the US, historically the world’s biggest emitter, overturned a landmark domestic climate ruling.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The defense’s own expert has since rebutted the forensics, arguing the methodology is flawed and insufficient to attribute the sites to anyone.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
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And Morse rebutted the contention that Puig couldn’t understand English by playing audio of Puig reflecting in English about his interview.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, senior leaders at Arizona State University were quietly hosting 30 leaders from Korean technical colleges to discuss how the United States might learn from their success in developing an AI-ready workforce.—
David Ignatius,
Washington Post,
11 Feb. 2026
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Neither Iran nor Oman offered any details on what had been discussed in Larijani's meetings.—
JON GAMBRELL THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Refute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refute. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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