debunk
verb (used with object)
to expose or excoriate (a claim, assertion, sentiment, etc.) as being pretentious, false, or exaggerated.
had debunked
-
past perfectof debunk.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But while Carlini’s work had debunked many claims made by AI developers, he had focused on the threat of bad people tricking artificial intelligence systems into making mistakes, not on hackers harnessing them for superpowers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
Within 24 hours of the hearing, Raffensperger’s office had debunked the video and said that it had found that no voter fraud had taken place at the arena, Willis wrote.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 5, 2022
I tracked Simpson’s prevarications for years in print, eventually receiving a bilious email from him in which he simply repeated the lies I had debunked.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2022
And on Monday, they played video of Barr saying he had debunked specific allegations to Trump.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 13, 2022
A Verificado staffer would then respond directly to most messages as well as post statuses about stories they had debunked throughout the day.
From Slate ● Aug. 2, 2018
