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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Recent Examples of refute
More: Stellantis needs this new Jeep that revives a classic name to be a hit
Though people on Facebook called it a shooting, the Stellantis spokesperson refuted this claim and said that would not be an accurate description of the situation.
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Aurora Sousanis, Freep.com, 13 July 2025
The memo also concluded that Epstein died by suicide, refuting other claims that there was foul play behind his 2019 death in prison.
—Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 10 July 2025
Shelby confirmed those figures to The Athletic on Saturday, but three Texas Tech sources refuted that number, with two confirming that Ojo is scheduled to receive an annual compensation of $775,000 per year for three years from Tech’s revenue-sharing pool.
—The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 5 July 2025
The defense also countered the physical evidence: expert witnesses challenged the state’s claim that Willie Stevens’s fingerprint appeared on the calling card found at the scene, while others refuted the allegation that Mrs. Hall had a facial scar in the days following the murder.
—Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for refute
Aurora Sousanis, Freep.com, 13 July 2025
The memo also concluded that Epstein died by suicide, refuting other claims that there was foul play behind his 2019 death in prison.
—Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 10 July 2025
Shelby confirmed those figures to The Athletic on Saturday, but three Texas Tech sources refuted that number, with two confirming that Ojo is scheduled to receive an annual compensation of $775,000 per year for three years from Tech’s revenue-sharing pool.
—The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 5 July 2025
The defense also countered the physical evidence: expert witnesses challenged the state’s claim that Willie Stevens’s fingerprint appeared on the calling card found at the scene, while others refuted the allegation that Mrs. Hall had a facial scar in the days following the murder.
—Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for refute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refute
Verb
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Thompson didn’t deny the rumors and hard launched their relationship with a post of his own featuring Megan to his IG, recapping their Bahamas trip.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
22 July 2025
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But Iran denies any such ambition to build a nuclear bomb, and accuses Israel of being the main aggressor in the region.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 July 2025
Verb
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What used to be fringe denialism has evolved into a sophisticated, and increasingly profitable, campaign to discredit science, undermine regulation, and politicize sustainability.—
Felicia Jackson,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
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The Chinese Communist Party has waged a decades-long campaign to discredit the current Dalai Lama and erase his presence from Tibetan life, while tightening restrictions on religious and cultural practices.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
3 July 2025
Verb
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New York’s 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Maxwell’s appeal effort last year, finding that the deal drawn up in 2007 and approved the following year only protected Epstein and his coconspirators in South Florida.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
15 July 2025
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If anyone else tries such commands, the AGI and ASI reject them summarily.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
Verb
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The perception that the Fins’ brief contender window is closing is one that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa must take it upon himself to disprove.—
Greg Cote
July 17,
Miami Herald,
17 July 2025
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But data from the federal Department of Labor over many years disproves that assertion.—
Nick Langworthy,
New York Daily News,
3 July 2025
Verb
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But the President seemed to contradict the Justice Department memo that suggested there were no more files to be disclosed, instead claiming that there are files but that they were written by his rival predecessors and would only serve as a distraction.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
14 July 2025
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But that has contradicted the administration’s own advisories regarding U.S. citizens visiting those countries.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
9 July 2025
Verb
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Six appealed their disqualifications but none of the disqualifications were overturned, the NYPD said in court papers.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
15 July 2025
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The Department of Justice (DOJ) has called on the Supreme Court to reject an appeal by Ghislaine Maxwell to overturn her conviction.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 July 2025
Verb
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In a post on X, Russ Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, rebutted that the total shipbuilding request for the coming year is $47.4 billion, about 21 percent above the prior year’s budget.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
9 July 2025
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In the brief filed on Monday, the benefit plan and pension committee try to rebut Dellapa’s arguments.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
8 July 2025
Verb
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Megyn Kelly and Ben Shapiro discussed the Jeffrey Epstein files on the July 14 episode of Kelly's YouTube show.—
Sonam Sheth,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 July 2025
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There’s a lot of humor used as the co-hosts discuss current events and rail against liberal reaction to them.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
15 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Refute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refute. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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