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GRE vocabulary

debunk

verbHigh-frequency wordMore D words

to expose the falseness of a claim or belief

Word origin: From de- plus bunk, nonsense, shortened from bunkum.

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In a sentence

Debunk in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing debunk in a sentence.

Her experiments debunked the long-held myth about the substance.

The study set out to debunk the widely held but unfounded claim that the supplement improves memory.

Antonyms
validateconfirmverify

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Verbal · Sentence Equivalence

The negotiator's reputation for blank served her well: rivals who tried to outwait her invariably found that she had already anticipated their stalling and arranged a fallback months in advance.

Select the two answers that give the sentence the same meaning. 0 of 2 selected.

Usage & nuance

Using “debunk” well

Debunk means to expose a claim as false, pairing with disprove and discredit. It implies actively dismantling a myth rather than merely doubting it.

Common questions

Questions about “debunk”

Debunk (verb) means to expose the falseness of a claim or belief
Here is debunk used in an example sentence: "Her experiments debunked the long-held myth about the substance." Another example: "The study set out to debunk the widely held but unfounded claim that the supplement improves memory."
Common synonyms for debunk include disprove, discredit, refute.
Antonyms of debunk include validate, confirm, verify.
Clusters with disprove, discredit, and refute in Sentence Equivalence. Antonyms validate, confirm, and verify describe supporting rather than exposing a claim.
Yes. Debunk is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

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