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poke holes in

VERB
disprove
Synonyms
STRONGEST
belie confound contradict discredit impugn invalidate negate rebut refute
STRONG
break confute contravene controvert deny explode expose negative overthrow overturn puncture shoot traverse weaken
WEAK
blow sky-high blow up disconfirm find unfounded knock bottom out of knock the props out (from under) set aside shoot holes in tear down throw out
Antonyms
STRONGEST
agree approve concede permit praise prove
STRONG
affirm allow build up confirm endorse hide strengthen
WEAK
credit validate

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The defense attorneys sought to poke holes in the accusers’ testimony.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 9, 2026

Better Dairy invited me – a committed carnivore and dairy devotee – to its lab to poke holes in this new cheese.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2025

“My job was to get her to share with me the details of her life in a way so that I could poke holes in it,” he told me recently.

From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2025

The film shows how these academics used data and mathematical models to poke holes in this thinking.

From Salon ● Apr. 26, 2025

Poppy had started using her pencil to poke holes in her paper.

From "The City of Ember" by Jeanne DuPrau

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