Refuting an argument with evidence

The idea

Use refutar directly with the claim or argument; add evidence with con.

Examples

• Los datos refutan esa hipótesis.The data refute that hypothesis.
• La médica refutó el rumor con pruebas.The doctor refuted the rumor with evidence.
• Refutamos el argumento mediante un experimento.We refute the argument through an experiment.
• ¿Puedes refutar esa conclusión con cifras?Can you refute that conclusion with figures?
• El informe refuta la idea de que faltan recursos.The report refutes the idea that resources are lacking.
• En el debate, refutaron la afirmación con documentos.In the debate, they refuted the claim with documents.

Watch out

Simply disagreeing does not itself demonstrate that a claim is false.

Try it yourself

1. Choose the correct form: Yo ___ esa tesis con pruebas. (refuto / refutan)

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   refuto

   refuto agrees with the speaker.

2. Choose the correct form: Ayer el informe ___ la acusación. (refutó / refuto)

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   refutó

   refutó marks the completed action yesterday.

3. Choose the correct form: Los datos ___ esa teoría. (refutan / refuta)

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   refutan

   refutan agrees with the plural subject.

Use it today

Refute a fictional claim and give one piece of evidence.