debunk
verb
de·bunk
(ˌ)dē-ˈbəŋk 
debunked; debunking; debunks
: to expose the sham (see sham entry 1 sense 2) or falseness of
debunk a legend
debunker
noun
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To debunk something is to take the bunk out of it—that bunk being “nonsense.” (Bunk is short for the synonymous bunkum, which has political origins.) Debunk has been in use since at least the 1920s, and it contrasts with synonyms like disprove and rebut by suggesting that something is not merely untrue but is also a sham—a trick meant to deceive. One can simply disprove a myth, but if it is debunked, the implication is that the myth was a grossly exaggerated or foolish claim.
Examples of debunk in a Sentence
The article debunks the notion that life exists on Mars.
The results of the study debunk his theory.
Recent Examples on the Web
Last week, two very clear signs came from the White House: An attempt to rewrite history; and the promulgation of the dangerous and debunked theories of race science.
—
Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Apr. 2025
And though widely debunked, these conspiracies have inspired concerted efforts around the country to end federal funding for the development of vaccines and other treatments based on mRNA.
—Alex Knapp, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Though debunked many times over the years, chemtrail believers say the white condensation lines left behind by airplanes in the sky are filled with toxic chemicals.
—Ramishah Maruf, Brandon Miller, CNN, 25 Mar. 2025
But those claims have been debunked by fact-checkers who note that a July 2024 report from Social Security’s inspector general less than 1% of payments from 2015 to 2022 were improper.
—Erin Mansfield, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debunk
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Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Apr. 2025
And though widely debunked, these conspiracies have inspired concerted efforts around the country to end federal funding for the development of vaccines and other treatments based on mRNA.
—Alex Knapp, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Though debunked many times over the years, chemtrail believers say the white condensation lines left behind by airplanes in the sky are filled with toxic chemicals.
—Ramishah Maruf, Brandon Miller, CNN, 25 Mar. 2025
But those claims have been debunked by fact-checkers who note that a July 2024 report from Social Security’s inspector general less than 1% of payments from 2015 to 2022 were improper.
—Erin Mansfield, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debunk
Cite this Entry
“Debunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/debunk. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.
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