MEANING
To show that a widely held claim or explanation is false or misleading.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- debunk a myth
- debunk a claim
On the page
The investigation debunked the rumor without naming its source.
Word forms
- Base
- debunk
- Past tense
- debunked
- Past participle
- debunked
- Present participle
- debunking
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- debunk
- Present continuous
- am/is/are debunking
- Present perfect
- have/has debunked
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been debunking
- Past
- debunked
- Past continuous
- was/were debunking
- Past perfect
- had debunked
- Past perfect continuous
- had been debunking
- Future
- will debunk
- Future continuous
- will be debunking
- Future perfect
- will have debunked
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been debunking
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: analysis / argumentation / evidence. Forms: debunk; debunks; debunked; debunked; debunking Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: argumentation, evidence, inference. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: debunks.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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