rebut
Americanverb (used with object)
-
rebuts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
rebutted,
past participle, past
-
rebutting
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
rebuts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
rebutted,
past participle, past
-
rebutting
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
rebutsimple
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rebutssimple
-
have rebuttedperfect
-
has rebuttedperfect
-
am rebuttingprogressive
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are rebuttingprogressive
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is rebuttingprogressive
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have been rebuttingperfect progressive
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has been rebuttingperfect progressive
Past
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rebuttedsimple
-
had rebuttedperfect
-
was rebuttingprogressive
-
were rebuttingprogressive
-
had been rebuttingperfect progressive
Future
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.
See Examples For:
"He was, in fact, following Saudi Arabia's instructions when assisting the hijackers," said Simpson, and that these were points that Saudi Arabia had "failed to rebut."
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Morton, however, says Charles was ill-advised to rebut the claims, as it simply further fanned the hype around the memoir.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
Bond analysts used colorful language to rebut Warsh’s assertion.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
"We view it both important and with precedent to rebut an incorrect scientific claim made in the DOE report," said Prof Santer, of UEA's Climatic Research Unit.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 2, 2026
She prevailed on every charge, and she prevailed because she could mount an argument that the Munich Philharmonic could not rebut.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
That rebuts Mr. Trump’s claim after Mr. Maduro’s capture six weeks ago that Ms. Machado lacks support in the country.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2026
Evidence of enjoyment of life directly rebuts the central proposition of the oppressor – namely, that the oppressed is inferior.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2024
Monday's court filing from the city of Baltimore rebuts that number as "substantially less than the amount that will be claimed for losses and damages arising out of the Dali's allision with the Key Bridge".
From BBC ● Apr. 23, 2024
Ms. Willis also takes the stand and forcefully rebuts suggestions she benefited financially from the relationship.
From New York Times ● Mar. 15, 2024
“Good. Being a little bit thirsty will remind us why we need to ration,” he rebuts, his anger beginning to fill to the brim.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
Prosecutors rebutted Busfield’s allegations in a response to the dismissal and asked the court to deny his motion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Hussain tried to rekindle the relationship but the woman rebutted his attempts on numerous occasions.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
Manifold has publicly rebutted BP’s version of events, shooting back with statements defending what he described as his focused, fast-paced work aimed at axing expenses and boosting the company’s long-term prospects.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
Lawyers for Haitian and Syrian TPS holders rebutted, however, that federal courts have the power to review the determination process.
From Salon ● Apr. 30, 2026
Requests from PIH staff to be paid for working extra hours “because other institutions did it” were rebutted by Farmer.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
He said social media platforms bore responsibility for not rebutting in time the content that encouraged last week's rush, warning it was "very likely" a similar event would happen "in any part of the world".
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
"Tears arise from the pain and sorrow that surges within a person, and the world sees this truth," declared Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, rebutting US President Donald Trump's claim that these were "fake tears".
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
“I think they need to do a better job rebutting the fireworks theory,” said Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor now in private practice.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
After this, Cembalest turned his attention to rebutting a widely believed yet, according to him, incorrect idea pertaining to how the spike in energy prices caused by the war might redound on the U.S. economy.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 6, 2026
I had been listening and silently rebutting each sentence with my eyes closed; then there was a hush, which in an audience warns that something unplanned is happening.
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
