diff --git a/types/debug/debug-tests.ts b/types/debug/debug-tests.ts
index a1e6dd792199e3..612f33862da5d4 100644
--- a/types/debug/debug-tests.ts
+++ b/types/debug/debug-tests.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ log2("Formatted test (%d arg)", 1);
 log2("Formatted %s (%d args)", "test", 2);
 
 debug1.disable();
-debug1.enable("DefinitelyTyped:*");
+debug1.enable("DefinitelyTyped:*,-DefinitelyTyped:skip");
 
 const log: debug1.Debugger = debug1("DefinitelyTyped:log");
 
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@ log("Formatted test (%d arg)", 1);
 log("Formatted %s (%d args)", "test", 2);
 
 log("Enabled?: %s", debug1.enabled("DefinitelyTyped:log"));
-log("Name Enabled: %s", debug1.names.some(name => name.test("DefinitelyTyped:log")));
+log("Name Enabled: %s", debug1.names.some(name => name === "DefinitelyTyped:*"));
+log("Skip Enabled: %s", debug1.skips.some(name => name === "DefinitelyTyped:skip"));
 log("Namespace: %s", log.namespace);
 
 const error: debug1.Debugger = debug1("DefinitelyTyped:error");
diff --git a/types/debug/index.d.ts b/types/debug/index.d.ts
index 3778eb8dbc44c7..38bef7b37669d8 100644
--- a/types/debug/index.d.ts
+++ b/types/debug/index.d.ts
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ declare namespace debug {
         selectColor: (namespace: string) => string | number;
         humanize: typeof import("ms");
 
-        names: RegExp[];
-        skips: RegExp[];
+        names: string[];
+        skips: string[];
 
         formatters: Formatters;