rebut
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have rebuttedperfect
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has rebuttedperfect 3rd person singular
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am rebuttingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been rebuttingperfect progressive
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is rebuttingprogressive 3rd person singular
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are rebuttingprogressive
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rebutssingular 3rd person
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rebuttingparticiple
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has been rebuttingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
Past
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had rebuttedperfect
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had been rebuttingperfect progressive
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rebuttedsimple
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was rebuttingprogressive singular
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were rebuttingprogressive plural
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rebuttedparticiple
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.
The ruling means the court will operate under the assumption that five potentially damaging statements are true while allowing the defendants to rebut them.
From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2026
Batson established a three-part framework for racial juror challenges: Defense counsel challenges a strike, the prosecutor gives race-neutral reasons for it, then defense counsel has the opportunity to rebut those proffered reasons as pretextual.
From Slate • May 28, 2026
It does not attempt to rebut ratings data or engage in traditional media criticism.
From Salon • May 23, 2026
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
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
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.
