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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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
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Recent Examples of refute
China has routinely refuted interference, espionage, and theft accusations.
—
Chad De Guzman, Time, 12 May 2026
Fairbanks would often refute ideas that Crawford was cold and cruel, which stemmed from his daughter Christine's tell-all memoir of shocking child abuse, Mommie Dearest.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
King’s break with Johnson was not about refuting his historic contributions.
—Mark Conway, Baltimore Sun, 9 May 2026
The court found that Pitt, 62, failed to provide enough evidence to refute Jolie's privilege claim, but the request was dismissed without prejudice, meaning his team can challenge the motion.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for refute
Chad De Guzman, Time, 12 May 2026
Fairbanks would often refute ideas that Crawford was cold and cruel, which stemmed from his daughter Christine's tell-all memoir of shocking child abuse, Mommie Dearest.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
King’s break with Johnson was not about refuting his historic contributions.
—Mark Conway, Baltimore Sun, 9 May 2026
The court found that Pitt, 62, failed to provide enough evidence to refute Jolie's privilege claim, but the request was dismissed without prejudice, meaning his team can challenge the motion.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for refute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refute
Verb
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The medical providers Cole and Mosley accused denied wrongdoing.—
Jo Yurcaba,
NBC news,
16 May 2026
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Weinstein’s attorneys have denied that encounter ever took place, and have argued that the trial judge improperly withheld evidence that would have bolstered his alibi.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Do these circumstances discredit the Braves’ wins?—
Gabriel Burns,
AJC.com,
15 May 2026
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What was unusual was the weaponization of the lack of forensic evidence to discredit the allegations.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Libby Savill, the deputy chair of Southbank Centre, outright rejected the allegations.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
19 May 2026
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That could be fine if people knew when to rely on AIs and when to reject them.—
Gautam Mukunda,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
Verb
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The first and third items in this indictment are indisputable; the second is a complicated and qualified matter; and the last two are libels, still part of popular legend no matter how often disproved by serious biography.—
Thomas Mallon,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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The newest data fits a trend, alongside news that Chicago once again has the country’s busiest airfield and is a top tourist destination, disproving the narrative that the city is shrinking, said Erin Connelly, communication director for Mayor Brandon Johnson.—
Robert McCoppin,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Djena stood silently nearby while Denise spoke, suppressing the urge to contradict Denise’s lies.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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However, prosecutors said his account was contradicted by video of the incident, physical evidence, and accounts by the victims.—
Ashley Killough,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Turner wasted one of the Phillies’ two ABS challenges trying to overturn a strike-three call on a pitch firmly in the zone.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
15 May 2026
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The verdict came after New York’s highest court in 2024 overturned his rape conviction in a landmark ruling that some called a referendum of the shortcomings of the #MeToo movement.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Attorneys for Nike, which did not respond to a request for comment, will have the chance to try to rebut Dunn’s claims.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
13 May 2026
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Diggs opted against taking the witness stand to rebut Adams' claims.—
Natasha Dye,
PEOPLE,
5 May 2026
Verb
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The Swallows were a pretty dull group of four siblings—Susan was always doing the cooking and discussing the best way to scramble egg, while bossy John was some kind of Tory MP in the making.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
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Joining me to discuss rising production costs, shifts in viewing preferences, and the demise of one of the pillars of late night television is USA TODAY TV Critic Kelly Lawler.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Refute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refute. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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