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Debunk: meaning, example and synonyms

Debunkv. To expose the falseness of a claim, idea, or belief.

Flashcard for Debunk (verb): to expose the falseness of a claim, idea, or belief. Example: By testing the remedy in a careful double-blind trial, the researchers debunked the popular belief that it could shorten a common cold. Synonyms: refute, discredit, disprove, expose. Antonyms: confirm, verify, support, prove. Memory tip: De-BUNK: take the bunk (nonsense) out of a claim. Illustration: a researcher in a white lab coat holding up a test tube in a bright laboratory while puzzled onlookers watch, a tray of identical small bottles on the bench.

Example

By testing the remedy in a careful double-blind trial, the researchers debunked the popular belief that it could shorten a common cold.

Part of speech
verb
Synonyms
refute, discredit, disprove, expose
Antonyms
confirm, verify, support, prove
Memory tip
De-BUNK: take the bunk (nonsense) out of a claim.

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Check yourself: Debunk in context

Pick the word that best completes each text.

Question 1

Using satellite images and tide records, the geographers ______ the long-standing legend that a sunken city lay beneath the bay.

Question 2

The magazine's science editor delights in ______ viral health claims, carefully showing readers why each miracle cure fails under controlled testing.

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