debunk
verb (used with object)
to expose or excoriate (a claim, assertion, sentiment, etc.) as being pretentious, false, or exaggerated.
have debunked
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present perfectof debunk.present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
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.
Several fact-checking organisations, including AFP's digital verification team, have debunked these images.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
Mr. Kennedy has long asserted that the measles vaccine causes autism, but the CDC page doesn’t go that far, perhaps because so many studies have debunked the claim.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 23, 2025
Experts have debunked his claims about a lack of water in Southern California, but that hasn’t stopped the allegations from being repeated thousands of times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 23, 2025
Two Australian mathematicians say they have debunked an old adage, that if given an infinite amount of time, a monkey pressing keys on a typewriter would eventually write the complete works of William Shakespeare.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2024
We now use ventilators less aggressively and know the benefits of steroids like dexamethasone, while other treatments like hydroxychloroquine have lost favor thanks to rigorous studies that have debunked anecdotal hype.
From Salon ● Nov. 20, 2020
