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The -but in rebut once meant basically "butt", so rebut's original meanings were "to drive or beat back" and "to attack with violent language". Rebuttals can still be rather violent, as anyone who has watched some heated moments in a presidential debate can testify. The word is often used by lawyers, since the lawyer for the accused or for the party being sued almost always tries to rebut the charges against his or her client; but it's also used in plenty of contexts outside the courtroom.
Synonyms
Examples of rebut in a Sentence
Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 6 July 2024
Biden’s debate performance did little to rebut those attacks.
—Leigh Ann Caldwell, Washington Post, 28 June 2024
The massive triumph of Inside Out 2 will rebut that thinking.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 25 June 2024
At the second meeting, Bowden-Lewis and Bucci rebutted the charges in a public session.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 21 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for rebut 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rebut.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near rebut
Cite this Entry
“Rebut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rebut. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rebut
verb
Legal Definition
rebut
transitive verb
Anglo-French reboter, rebuter to answer a charge, bar from an action, literally, to repulse, rebuff, from Old French reboter, from re- back + boter to push, butt
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