Question

rebut The claims about receiving payoffs from builders were eventually rebutted by the mayor's office, but the damage had been done. rɪˈbət

Accepted Answer

(1) To oppose by argument. (2) To prove to be wrong. 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

word	rebut
definition	(1) To oppose by argument. (2) To prove to be wrong.
eg_sentence	The claims about receiving payoffs from builders were eventually rebutted by the mayor's office, but the damage had been done.
explanation	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
IPA	rɪˈbət

Rebut Oppose Argument Prove Wrong Claims Receiving Payoffs