as in to interrogate
to officially ask (someone) about a job that has been done or about an experience
Police debriefed the hostages upon their return. The pilot was debriefed after his flight.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of debrief
Yet as the team is debriefing their patient’s heartbreaking death, they’re interrupted by a fight between two mothers in the waiting room.
—
Ashley Boucher, EW.com, 28 Feb. 2025
This time, McKinnon, Woody Harrelson, and Pascal were debriefed about their abduction by US Space Force officers played by Aidy Bryant and Jon Hamm.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 17 Feb. 2025
Bobby Moynihan and Bryant play government officials debriefing the three citizens, but a troubling pattern soon emerges in their answers.
—Erin Strecker, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2025
He is debriefed in far greater detail than the public about what is and isn’t currently available on the trade market.
—Anthony Slater, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debrief
Ashley Boucher, EW.com, 28 Feb. 2025
This time, McKinnon, Woody Harrelson, and Pascal were debriefed about their abduction by US Space Force officers played by Aidy Bryant and Jon Hamm.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 17 Feb. 2025
Bobby Moynihan and Bryant play government officials debriefing the three citizens, but a troubling pattern soon emerges in their answers.
—Erin Strecker, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2025
He is debriefed in far greater detail than the public about what is and isn’t currently available on the trade market.
—Anthony Slater, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debrief
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debrief
Verb
-
From exhibitions interrogating race and class to public programs grappling with climate change and surveillance, Somerset House became a magnet for the conversations audiences crave but most institutions are too afraid to address. Stand for something.—
Jeetendr Sehdev,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
-
The Fallout series is set in 2296, though the story routinely returns to the year 2077, interrogating how corporate interests helped facilitate the nuclear attacks that decimated the world.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
14 May 2025
Verb
-
And perhaps most notably, past remarks of Kennedy seem to question a causal relationship between HIV and AIDS.—
Joshua P. Cohen,
Forbes.com,
4 May 2025
-
All the suspects are being questioned at police stations and have not been charged.—
Jill Lawless,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2025
Verb
-
The study also examined the likelihood of atypical handedness in clinical populations, or groups of people diagnosed with a specific set of health conditions compared to a control population.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2025
-
Meanwhile, Pluto stationed retrograde on the same day, shaking things up in your immediate environment, forcing you to examine your communication style and perspective, as you could be stuck in old patterns of thinking.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
9 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debrief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debrief. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share