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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.
Examples of rebut in a Sentence
Nbc News, NBC news, 22 May 2025
But Richard’s testimony shows a pattern of physical violence and helps rebut the defense’s argument that the conduct was consensual.
—Tracy Wright , Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 20 May 2025
The only way to rebut that is to erode the concept of agency — that is a dangerous proposition.
—Joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 2025
Amid the ongoing outbreaks, pediatricians have stepped up efforts to rebut misinformation about both the disease and the vaccine.
—Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rebut
Cite this Entry
“Rebut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rebut. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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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