verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of rebut
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English reb(o)uten, from Old French rebouter, equivalent to re- re- + bouter butt 3
Explanation
To rebut is to argue against something. If your parents say you're too young and irresponsible to drive, you can rebut their claim by ticking off examples of your responsibility. When you argue against something, you rebut that position or argument. Your school's principal might rebut your teacher's argument that the class is overcrowded by pointing out that there could legally be five more kids in the class. The teacher could rebut the principal's rebuttal by observing that there aren't enough books or seats for the kids in the classroom now. Rebut comes from an old French word rebuter, meaning "to thrust back."
Vocabulary lists containing rebut
Fahrenheit 451
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Expository Writing, List 2
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Just Mercy
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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.
Suu Kyi travelled to The Hague to rebut charges of genocide against them at the UN's top court in 2019 -- tanking her reputation on the international circuit.
From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026
And they’ll probably have to prove they can effectively rebut the Rockets’ adjustments, though those are merely conceptual at this point, they’re so overdue.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026
Carolyn Rogers, the Bank of Canada‘s No. 2 official, may either rebut or buttress traders’ expectations for at least three interest-rate increases in 2026.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026
Also read: Nvidia is going out of its way to rebut online criticism.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 5, 2025
I didn't know what they could have presented to rebut our evidence, but I'd assumed they would present something.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
