Refute — A Vocabulary Story
The Snail on the Window
Bo's big sister Lian knew everything. At least, she said she did.
"Snails can't climb glass," she announced on Saturday morning, pointing at a small brown snail on the back step. "It's far too slippery. Everybody knows that."
Bo did not know that. In fact, Bo was fairly sure it was wrong, and there was nothing he liked more than proving Lian wrong. He would refute it, and he would do it properly, with evidence.
Refute means to prove that a statement or argument is wrong.
He fetched the snail, a saucer of lettuce and a notebook, and set up his experiment on the kitchen windowsill.
"You're wasting your morning," said Lian.
The snail sat on the glass and did nothing. Ten minutes went by. Bo wrote "nothing yet" in his notebook.
"Told you," said Lian. "Nothing to refute."
Then the snail stretched out its silvery neck, waved its eye stalks, and slid upwards. Slowly. Very slowly. But definitely upwards.
"It's climbing!" Bo shouted. Their dad came running in with a tea towel over his shoulder, expecting a disaster, and found a boy dancing round the kitchen.
By lunchtime the snail was halfway up the window, leaving a shining silver road behind it.
"That," said Bo, tapping his notebook, "is a complete refutation. Snails can climb glass, and everybody knows it now."
Lian folded her arms. "Well, they can't climb the ceiling."
Bo looked at the snail. The snail looked at the ceiling.
"Give me till teatime," said Bo, "and I'll refute that one too."
Word Definition
refute
meaning
to prove that a statement or argument is wrong
synonyms
contradict · deny · reject · disprove · expose
antonyms
prove · assist · concede
example sentence
The lawyer worked to refute the claims with strong supporting evidence.