refuted; refuting
Synonyms
Examples of refute in a Sentence
But for every study that shows acid rain is damaging frogs, another one refutes it.
—
Emily Yoffe, New York Times Magazine, 13 Dec. 1992
And it violates the basic tenet of historical method: that the historian be alert to the negative instances that would refute his thesis and to alternative explanations that would be more plausible than his own.
—Gertrude Himmelfarb, The New History and the Old, 1987
It is not necessary to refute such an argument point by point …
—Denis Goulet, Center Magazine, May 1969
We refute these aspersions whether they come from our best friends or our worst foes.
—Sir Winston Churchill, address in House of Commons, 18 Jan. 1945,
in Nathan Aus, ed., Voices of History 1945–46, 1946
The lawyer refuted the testimony of the witness.
He refutes the notion that he's planning to retire soon.
She refuted the allegations against her.
Emily Yoffe, New York Times Magazine, 13 Dec. 1992
And it violates the basic tenet of historical method: that the historian be alert to the negative instances that would refute his thesis and to alternative explanations that would be more plausible than his own.
—Gertrude Himmelfarb, The New History and the Old, 1987
It is not necessary to refute such an argument point by point …
—Denis Goulet, Center Magazine, May 1969
We refute these aspersions whether they come from our best friends or our worst foes.
—Sir Winston Churchill, address in House of Commons, 18 Jan. 1945,
in Nathan Aus, ed., Voices of History 1945–46, 1946
The lawyer refuted the testimony of the witness.
He refutes the notion that he's planning to retire soon.
She refuted the allegations against her.
Recent Examples on the Web
In the filing, prosecutors refute the defense's argument that McKinney III isn't a danger to the community or a flight risk and that evidence implicating him is limited.
—Killian Baarlaer, The Courier-Journal, 26 Oct. 2024
In a new interview, Vassos refutes Stewart’s claim that the show doesn’t have hot guys.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 25 Oct. 2024
Neither are refuted or corrected with the same vigor and enthusiasm seen when the seed of scandal is first set.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 25 Oct. 2024
His ongoing efforts have uncovered discrepancies and physical and digital evidence that contradicts or refutes the officers’ accounts of the circumstances of the shooting.
—Ashley Luthern, Journal Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for refute 
Killian Baarlaer, The Courier-Journal, 26 Oct. 2024
In a new interview, Vassos refutes Stewart’s claim that the show doesn’t have hot guys.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 25 Oct. 2024
Neither are refuted or corrected with the same vigor and enthusiasm seen when the seed of scandal is first set.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 25 Oct. 2024
His ongoing efforts have uncovered discrepancies and physical and digital evidence that contradicts or refutes the officers’ accounts of the circumstances of the shooting.
—Ashley Luthern, Journal Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for refute
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'refute.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Refute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refute. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
refute
verb
re·fute
ri-ˈfyüt 
refuted; refuting
: to prove wrong by argument or evidence : show to be false
refute the testimony of a witness
refuter
noun
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