refuted; refuting
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
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has refuted claims that the noise from offshore wind turbines causes whale deaths.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 20 May 2025
But rather than refute Mische’s analysis, the administration has been planting suggestions that Mische is employed by Saudi Arabia, even though his advice to that nation ended years ago.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 20 May 2025
But defense attorney Getting never called his own fire expert to refute any of that.
—Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 20 May 2025
Mooresville Mayor Chris Carney refuted U.S. Census Bureau estimates released Thursday that show the Lake Norman town lost population after decades of rapid growth.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for refute
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Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 20 May 2025
But rather than refute Mische’s analysis, the administration has been planting suggestions that Mische is employed by Saudi Arabia, even though his advice to that nation ended years ago.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 20 May 2025
But defense attorney Getting never called his own fire expert to refute any of that.
—Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 20 May 2025
Mooresville Mayor Chris Carney refuted U.S. Census Bureau estimates released Thursday that show the Lake Norman town lost population after decades of rapid growth.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for refute
Cite this Entry
“Refute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refute. Accessed 2 Jun. 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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