SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
refute
verb
To demonstrate that a claim or argument is false.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Show to be false
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topRefute here requires demonstrating falsity. Challenge and rebut can describe attempts that do not establish the final truth of the matter.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See refute in use
The original photograph refuted the claim that the building had only one entrance.
A volunteer tried to rebut the claim that the smaller room would take less time by describing the extra stands it required. Photographs could refute the narrower assertion that all four walls were available for hanging work, since one entire wall was blocked by fixed shelving.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license