refuting 1 of 2

adjective

as in disproving

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refuting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of refute
1
as in denying
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

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2
as in discrediting
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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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 refuting
Verb
Many d This week, the department issued a follow-up statement refuting both of those claims. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026 The distant thud of shelling punctuates the evening, refuting one guest’s optimism that the latest ceasefire agreement will endure. — Literary Hub, 14 July 2026 The Whitney Houston estate is refuting Oprah Winfrey recalling that the late singer was high and fell off the stage during an appearance on her talk show. — Marc Malkin, Variety, 24 June 2026 Two other retired judges later published their own piece refuting Gilliard’s contention. — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 14 June 2026 Anne Hathaway is refuting online speculation over whether she's had a facelift. — Sharareh Drury, Entertainment Weekly, 22 May 2026 King’s break with Johnson was not about refuting his historic contributions. — Mark Conway, Baltimore Sun, 9 May 2026 That’s not refuting the secrecy. — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2026 Amidst the other claims, this one has hit hard at Beast Industries, and the company got quite personal in refuting it. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 22 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refuting
  1. contradictory
  2. denying
  3. discrediting
  4. opposing
  5. rejecting
  6. overturning
  7. contradicting
  8. disproving
Adjective
  • Making good on his promise in The Holdovers, Dominic Sessa is excellent in the role, nailing the contradictory aspects of a slippery character while mapping his coming-of-age arc with empathy and honesty.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 29 July 2026
  • Fauci and other public health officials — and politicians — gave confusing and sometimes contradictory guidance.
    — Steve Brozak, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of contradictory
Verb
  • In the early 1930s, the Pulitzer Prize–winning New York Times correspondent Walter Duranty wrote stories denying the famine that Joseph Stalin’s forced-collectivization policies were causing in Ukraine and mocked journalists who reported the truth.
    — James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 29 July 2026
  • Human rights groups have accused Iranian authorities of denying defendants due process, relying on coerced confessions and carrying out executions after unfair trials.
    — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of denying
Verb
  • Kiryl Pazniak, 49, who hosted a popular political show on YouTube, has been convicted on the charges of discrediting Belarus and forming an extremist organization, the group said — accusations widely used by authorities to stifle critical voices.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
  • Defense attorney Tom Mesereau was an expert at discrediting witnesses, subjects told the filmmakers, but certain key witnesses, like Janet Arvizo, struggled to connect with the jury on their own.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2026
Definition of discrediting
Adjective
  • Lundgren got out from the driver’s side of the vehicle, stumbled across the opposing lane of traffic, and leaped over the side of the bridge into Table Rock Lake below, the sheriff said.
    — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 22 July 2026
  • Styles make fights Firstly, this will be a clash of two very opposing styles.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 19 July 2026
Definition of opposing
Verb
  • The 9th Circuit joined the 2nd, 6th, 7th, 10th, and 11th Circuits in rejecting the administration’s policy, countering the 5th and 8th Circuits, which have said the policy is lawful.
    — Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 31 July 2026
  • North and Central America and Caribbean governing body CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) later came out with statements rejecting FIFA’s proposal, but stopping short of a boycott.
    — Patrick Sung Cuadrado, CNN Money, 30 July 2026
Definition of rejecting
Verb
  • The court delivered on a long-term goal of the conservative legal movement, overturning a 90-year precedent that had limited the ability of presidents to fire leaders of agencies that Congress designed to be independent.
    — Emily R. Condon, USA Today, 30 July 2026
  • In June, 2025, the Israelis conducted an extended assault that appeared partly aimed at overturning the Iranian government.
    — David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
Definition of overturning
Verb
  • Republicans on the committee accused Fauci of privately contradicting his public advocacy in his diary entries, while Democrats said he was being scapegoated in a partisan inquiry relitigating events that happened years ago.
    — Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 30 July 2026
  • Global coal consumption reached another record in 2025, seemingly contradicting years of discussion about phasing out the world’s most carbon-intensive fossil fuel.
    — Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
Definition of contradicting
Verb
  • Furthermore, integrated video and POS data protect employees by quickly disproving false customer claims or unwarranted liability disputes.
    — Robert Messer, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • This meant no difference in the travel speed of light, essentially disproving the existence of the ether.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 3 July 2026
Definition of disproving

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Cite this Entry

“Refuting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refuting. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of refuting for Spanish Speakers

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