Here’s the word “refute” in the lead sentence of a Fox News article:
Patti Blagojevich’s father, sister and brother are refuting the foul-mouthed portrait that’s been drawn of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s wife since his arrest, saying the first lady has been living in a pressure cooker.
Here’s what dictionary.com has to say about the meaning of the word “refute”:
Refute – verb (used with object)
I read that whole article. In it I learned that Patti Blagojevich is “a mother, a sister, and a devoted wife.” I learned that “she is particularly protective of her family.” I learned that she is “loyal to a fault.” She will sometimes “jump down [our] throat” if you argue with her husband. She is going through a rough time. Her family is angry about the scrutiny she is getting.
But nowhere did I find the slightest refutation of the “foul-mouthed portrait that’s been drawn” of her. In fact, her father even corroborated it somewhat.
You’d think that a news article that starts off with an assertion like this one did would then try to back it up.