debriefing

verb

present participle of debrief
as in interrogating
to officially ask (someone) about a job that has been done or about an experience Police debriefed the hostages upon their return. The pilot was debriefed after his flight.

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of debriefing The final clip features Knoxville and Tremaine sitting on a motel bed, debriefing after a particularly dangerous stunt. — T.m. Brown, CNN Money, 26 June 2026 Since making their water landing, the three Americans and one Canadian who set out on the lunar journey have been busy, spending recent weeks reuniting with family, debriefing the mission and making media appearances – all while adapting to life back on Earth. — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026 Apart from debriefing after the trip to the winery, this was a big episode for dates. — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 13 Apr. 2026 Chapman, who worked long hours debriefing Marquez over the years and shepherded his grand jury testimony, grew emotional while talking about Marquez’s qualities as a wonky engineer who could talk endlessly about the inner workings of the ComEd’s electrical grid. — Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026 Health care workers may dip into depression and substance abuse, and Rau seeks to counter that by debriefing his staff after tragedies and encouraging them to reach out to one another. — Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 29 Dec. 2025 For Morgan, making a video at the end of the day, debriefing all aspects of the long, grueling days of recruitment, was never going to be a polished piece of content. — Tabitha Parent, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debriefing
  1. interrogating
  2. questioning
  3. examining
Verb
  • Jacobsen, after interrogating scientific and security experts around the world, has imagined an accident at a Siberian lab that launches a runaway outbreak.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Fort Worth house The episode opens with Kyle (Thad Luckinbill) interrogating Oleksandra (Elizaveta Neretin) about the attack at Joe’s house.
    — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of interrogating
Verb
  • McDonald, his black Atlanta Braves baseball cap folded and laid on the witness box, frequently shifted uncomfortably during questioning about the specific activities of other people involved in the gangs.
    — Andy Rose, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Warsh also declined, as is his policy, to provide forward guidance, leaving analysts questioning whether the central bank would follow through with hikes.
    — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of questioning
Verb
  • No headline metric currently in circulation captures that shift, which is precisely the problem worth examining.
    — Sean Stein Smith, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • When speaking to lawmakers Monday, Mann said Department of Human Services staff are examining both fee-for-service Medicaid and managed care models as an eventual replacement for ARHOME.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of examining

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debriefed
debriefing
debriefs
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Cite this Entry

“Debriefing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debriefing. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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