REFUTED Synonyms: 83 Similar and Opposite Words

refuted

verb

past tense of refute

as in denied

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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as in discredited

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 refuted The State Department has refuted the allegations against Chen. — Shannon K. Kingston, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026 The State Department has refuted arguments that funding cuts contributed to a slower response to the virus. — Adrian Elimian, semafor.com, 20 Aug. 2026 Greenidge, an award-winning public historian, refuted all charges, and told the New York Times that attacks on her scholarship were racially motivated. — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026 Tyson did have hamstring issues while starring for the Sun Devils, but Moore refuted speculation that this injury was comparable. — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 18 Aug. 2026 The museum also refuted claims of adverse working conditions. — Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 11 Aug. 2026 Players from that 1951 side have strongly refuted the story, while the priest at its centre has never been identified. — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 27 July 2026 The country's health minister, David Kershenobich, refuted the FDA's assertion on July 21. — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 22 July 2026 That would have dedicated more than a tenth of the NIH’s annual budget to investigating a hypothesis already refuted by scientists worldwide. — CNN Money, 16 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for refuted

Verb

The Attorney General’s Office could not be reached for comment on why the grant was denied.

— Jake Ramsey, Oklahoma Watch, 30 Aug. 2026
If that application is denied, deportation could be a death sentence.

— Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of denied

Verb

Inflicting these details on the jury, the children’s family members, and the public served no discernible purpose in establishing Clancy’s mens rea, which might have discredited her not-guilty plea.

— Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026
After the exam was discredited, at least 20 students died by suicide, according to Agence France-Presse.

— Philip Wang, Time, 25 July 2026

Definition of discredited

Verb

But others have rejected the idea that the system failed Clancy and have been highly critical of her supporters, including conservative commentators Matt Walsh and Megyn Kelly.

— N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Last year, Manchester United were in discussions with him and made a loan bid in the latter stages of the summer transfer window which was rejected.

— David Ornstein, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of rejected

Verb

According to The Sacramento Bee, California Highway Patrol said the crew member was driving a semi-truck that veered off the interstate highway and overturned.

— Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2026
At least one person died Thursday morning after a big rig overturned on Interstate 5 south of Zamora in Yolo County, according to the California Highway Patrol.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of overturned

Verb

Evidence contradicted his story of being attacked with a box cutter, including an absence of blood on the weapon’s blade, officials said.

— Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 24 Aug. 2026
Prosecutors reduced some to misdemeanors, and dismissed others when evidence came to light that directly contradicted what agents had alleged happened.

— Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of contradicted

Verb

Leppanen recounted that a colleague told her that the pouches dissolved even though the information that disproved this was available online.

— Matthew Chapman, STAT, 14 July 2026
This left open the question of whether more complex, loopy geometries would behave differently, while also leaving competing historical theories yet to be disproved.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 13 July 2026

Definition of disproved

Verb

Davis’ defense attorney, Michael Sanft, challenged jurors to identify evidence outside Davis’ own statements that placed him in Las Vegas or inside the Cadillac on the night Shakur was shot.

— Jonathan Landrum Jr, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
Still, the emotionally stunted John claims not to harbor ill feelings toward Hal, though this is most certainly challenged by the end of the episode.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of challenged

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“Refuted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refuted. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of refuted

verb

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