debug

verb

de·​bug (ˌ)dē-ˈbəg How to pronounce debug (audio)
debugged; debugging; debugs

transitive verb

1
: to remove insects from
2
: to eliminate errors in or malfunctions of
debug a computer program
3
: to remove a concealed microphone or wiretapping device from
debugger noun

Examples of debug in a Sentence

She's been hired to write and debug computer programs. the computer program ran much faster after it was debugged
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The debugging procedures proved effective enough that the department was able to launch the form ten days ahead of its December 1 target date. Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024 As equipment and facilities coalesced in SWIFT’s dedicated 4,000-square-foot space, Rolf H. Brunner, who had managed a good portion of the sector designs along with development of the vacuum metal-deposition equipment, took responsibility under Wu for equipment installation, startup, and debugging. IEEE Spectrum, 27 Nov. 2024 While the program will gather feedback about tools, performance tuning, debugging utilities, and plenty of other aspects of game development, it’s also designed for input from game studios that aren’t shipping games on Xbox. Tom Warren, The Verge, 2 Oct. 2024 Some coding-specific shortcuts are also available for debugging, adding logs and comments, and translating code into other languages. Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 4 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for debug 

Word History

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of debug was in 1944

Dictionary Entries Near debug

Cite this Entry

“Debug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/debug. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

debug

verb
de·​bug (ˈ)dē-ˈbəg How to pronounce debug (audio)
: to remove mistakes from
debug a computer program

More from Merriam-Webster on debug

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!