as in defamation
the making of false statements that damage another's reputation
the callous defaming of the popular actress by the unscrupulous tabloid reporter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in smearing
to make untrue and harmful statements about
of course I want to win the election, but I refuse to defame my opponent in order to do so
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in accusing
archaic
to make a claim of wrongdoing against
so the harmless old woman was defamed of witchcraft
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defaming
Noun
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Young is accusing the network of defamation and libel.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
17 Jan. 2025 -
What the lawsuit says: Baldoni, in a federal lawsuit filed Thursday, accuses Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, of defamation and extortion.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA TODAY,
17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Pryor sued in October, accusing the NCAA, the Big Ten, Ohio State and Learfield of conspiring to violate antitrust law and unjustly enriching themselves.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
8 Jan. 2025
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However, his critics have targeted the package, with Republican lawmakers accusing him of spurring inflation.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA TODAY,
8 Jan. 2025
Noun
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His barrister, David Sherborne, who represented Johnny Depp in his libel suit against The Sun, was pictured arriving at the Rolls Building in the past hour.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
21 Jan. 2025
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What To Know Zachary Young, a U.S. Navy veteran, is suing CNN, accusing the network of defamation and libel.—
Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell,
Newsweek,
15 Jan. 2025
Verb
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In July, her office led the charge in indicting employees of Radius Recycling – formerly known as Schnitzer Steel – regarding a massive 2023 fire that spewed toxic smoke across the East Bay.—
Jakob Rodgers,
The Mercury News,
9 Oct. 2024
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Following Hamas’s attack, the government has rolled back this campaign by detaining and indicting Arab citizens over their social media posts and preventing Arab antiwar demonstrations.—
Aluf Benn,
Foreign Affairs,
4 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Many of the conspiracy theories have prompted FEMA to create a page on its site discrediting rumors and false information about its response to Hurricane Helene.—
Nicole Sganga,
CBS News,
14 Oct. 2024
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Still, the United States didn’t recognize Haiti as a nation until 1862, during the Civil War, when American leadership was looking for any support in discrediting slavery.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes,
10 Oct. 2024
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Thesaurus Entries Near defaming
Cite this Entry
“Defaming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defaming. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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