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
While Kansas public health officials called it the largest U.S. concentration of the disease since recording began in the 1950s, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has refuted this, citing two larger episodes in the past.
—Cory Franklin, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2025
Nicole’s lawyer, Bruce Weil of law firm Boies Schiller Flexner, refutes that claim, saying that Dr. Wertheim never made such an offer.
—Kerry A. Dolan, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2025
In a statement provided to Outside, Tracy refuted the claim.
—Jayme Moye, Outside Online, 11 Feb. 2025
However, several of Gibson’s family members — including her late mother, Natalie Dal-Bello (who died from multiple sclerosis in 2017), her step-father, Andrew Dal-Bello, and her brother, Nick Gibson — have all refuted these claims.
—Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 6 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for refute 
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Cory Franklin, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2025
Nicole’s lawyer, Bruce Weil of law firm Boies Schiller Flexner, refutes that claim, saying that Dr. Wertheim never made such an offer.
—Kerry A. Dolan, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2025
In a statement provided to Outside, Tracy refuted the claim.
—Jayme Moye, Outside Online, 11 Feb. 2025
However, several of Gibson’s family members — including her late mother, Natalie Dal-Bello (who died from multiple sclerosis in 2017), her step-father, Andrew Dal-Bello, and her brother, Nick Gibson — have all refuted these claims.
—Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 6 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for refute
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Dictionary Entries Near refute
Cite this Entry
“Refute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refute. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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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