debrief
verb
de·brief
(ˌ)dē-ˈbrēf 
debriefed; debriefing; debriefs
1
: to interrogate (someone, such as a pilot) usually upon return (as from a mission) in order to obtain useful information
The hostages were later debriefed by police.
2
: to carefully review upon completion
debrief the flight
: to be interrogated for useful information following a mission, experience, etc. : to be debriefed
After each mission, … the pilots land, disarm and roll into the fuel pit. They spend another hour debriefing with Intelligence …—
Maria Wilhelm
Maria WilhelmExamples of debrief in a Sentence
Police debriefed the hostages upon their return.
The pilot was debriefed after his flight.
Recent Examples on the Web
On the March 20 episode of The Kardashians, Kendall debriefed Kylie Jenner on the tense and emotional reunion Khloé, 40, had with her ex-husband Lamar Odom.
—Julia Moore, People.com, 20 Mar. 2025
Yet as the team is debriefing their patient’s heartbreaking death, they’re interrupted by a fight between two mothers in the waiting room.
—Ashley Boucher, EW.com, 28 Feb. 2025
This time, McKinnon, Woody Harrelson, and Pascal were debriefed about their abduction by US Space Force officers played by Aidy Bryant and Jon Hamm.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 17 Feb. 2025
Bobby Moynihan and Bryant play government officials debriefing the three citizens, but a troubling pattern soon emerges in their answers.
—Erin Strecker, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debrief
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Julia Moore, People.com, 20 Mar. 2025
Yet as the team is debriefing their patient’s heartbreaking death, they’re interrupted by a fight between two mothers in the waiting room.
—Ashley Boucher, EW.com, 28 Feb. 2025
This time, McKinnon, Woody Harrelson, and Pascal were debriefed about their abduction by US Space Force officers played by Aidy Bryant and Jon Hamm.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 17 Feb. 2025
Bobby Moynihan and Bryant play government officials debriefing the three citizens, but a troubling pattern soon emerges in their answers.
—Erin Strecker, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debrief
Cite this Entry
“Debrief.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/debrief. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
debrief
verb
de·brief
di-ˈbrēf
ˈdē-
: to question (as an astronaut) on return from a mission or assignment in order to obtain useful information
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