debunking

verb

present participle of debunk
1
as in refuting
to prove to be false a Web site that assiduously debunks urban legends

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in exposing
to reveal the true nature of the investigative reporter easily debunked the charlatan's claims of clairvoyance

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 debunking The tweet above was eventually slapped with a Community Note debunking the claims. — James Peckham, PC Magazine, 27 Aug. 2026 Putting These Ideas Into Practice Rein works hard at debunking neuroscience myths and telling people which brain interventions don’t actually hold up. — Kevin Kruse, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Researchers found genetic traces of Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite responsible for the deadliest form of malaria — effectively debunking the longstanding poisoning theory. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026 How the conspiracy ecosystem jumped on hantavirus Epidemiologist Katrine Wallace has built a large social media audience by debunking medical misinformation in real time. — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 11 May 2026 Once someone has formed an opinion, debunking their belief can backfire, driving them to commit even more strongly to their mistake. — Robert B. Talisse, The Conversation, 10 Apr. 2026 This is one of the most critical details in debunking the claim. — Ryan Brennan april 1, Sacbee.com, 1 Apr. 2026 Certainly, the association with Jeffrey Epstein is not especially helpful for debunking something nefarious. — Mike Rothschild, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026 Since the 1990s, neuroscientists have accumulated evidence debunking this idea. — Alicia Garceau, NPR, 6 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debunking
  1. refuting
  2. exposing
  3. uncovering
Verb
  • So thankful to Alabama Athletics for refuting it on my behalf.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Minneapolis’s Walker Art Center and the artist Olalekan Jeyifous are refuting accusations by some museum visitors that his work was made using generative AI, reports MPR News.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of refuting
Verb
  • Even in defeat, Fulham succeeded in exposing frailties in Chelsea’s defensive structure at Craven Cottage.
    — Liam Twomey, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Free and charitable clinics scramble to absorb uninsured patients even as Florida’s healthcare squeeze becomes a defining campaign issue, exposing a broader national failure to rein in medical costs.
    — Ali Swenson, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of exposing
Verb
  • Europe’s summer wildfires are igniting and uncovering rusted bombs and mines from WWI and WWII, turning old battlefields into hazardous zones for firefighters and nearby communities.
    — Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
  • But uncovering the identity of the decades-old body would not be quick work.
    — Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of uncovering

Browse Nearby Words

debunked
debunking
debunks
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Cite this Entry

“Debunking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debunking. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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