as in defamation
the making of false statements that damage another's reputation
the governor's office issued a statement accusing the state's largest newspaper of libel
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to smear
to make untrue and harmful statements about
the court decided that the newspaper's reportage of the former mayor, while irresponsible, did not constitute an effort to libel him
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of libel
Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 1 Jan. 2025
Williams sued the tabloid for libel and won damages as well as an apology.
—Shyla Watson, People.com, 13 Dec. 2024
Dan Greene, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
Angered by both the initial post and the follow-up, Mann filed a lawsuit against National Review in October of 2012, claiming that both Steyn and Lowry had not only libeled him, but were guilty of the intentional infliction of emotional distress.
—The Editors, National Review, 13 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for libel 
Noun
Lively's formal lawsuit was filed on New Year's Eve, the same day Baldoni filed his own lawsuit against The New York Times for libel after the news organization published Lively's smear campaign accusations.
—Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 1 Jan. 2025
Williams sued the tabloid for libel and won damages as well as an apology.
—Shyla Watson, People.com, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
Luckily for anyone still Christmas shopping, however, the court has continued pressing Giuliani for his assets, which are expected to be sold at auction to pay for a portion of the damages owed to the plaintiffs, whom Giuliani libelled with false claims of election malfeasance.
—Dan Greene, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
Angered by both the initial post and the follow-up, Mann filed a lawsuit against National Review in October of 2012, claiming that both Steyn and Lowry had not only libeled him, but were guilty of the intentional infliction of emotional distress.
—The Editors, National Review, 13 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for libel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for libel
Noun
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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
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Young is accusing the network of defamation and libel.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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In the Mecklenburg County jail, he was accused of assaulting guards, breaking sprinklers, and smearing feces on his cell walls.—
Kallie Cox,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Jan. 2025
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The peanut pesto smearing the fish hits all the flavor notes: umami from the fish sauce, caramelly sweetness from the brown sugar, and brightness from the lime juice.—
Megan Zhang,
Saveur,
16 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The reading of history damps down the impulse to slander the trend and tenor of the times, instills a sense of humor, lessens our fear of what might happen tomorrow.—
Harper’s Magazine,
Harper's Magazine,
2 Oct. 2024
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In the lawsuit, Trump claimed George Stephanopoulos of ABC News slandered him by stating that Trump had been found liable for rape during the E. Jean Carroll civil case in New York.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
16 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The boy’s rich parents land on former party girl and disgraced girl-band member Florence Grimes’ son, Dylan, who was mercilessly bullied by Alfie.—
Shannon Carlin,
TIME,
17 Dec. 2024
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Similar finger-pointing occurred in the Rampart scandal, which broke in 1998, when disgraced Det.—
Libor Jany,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Giuliani was found liable last year for defaming two former Georgia election workers, Freeman and her daughter Moss, after falsely accusing them of ballot tampering during the election.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
4 Jan. 2025
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The claim also accuses Supervisor Noelia Corzo, a former supporter of Corpus who is also Latina, of disclosing confidential personnel investigation details and defaming the sheriff publicly.—
Ryan Macasero,
The Mercury News,
3 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Beyond her work as a lobbyist, Bondi solidified her reputation as a Trump loyalist by defending him on the floor of the Senate during his first impeachment and helping his efforts to discredit the 2020 election results.—
Peter Charalambous,
ABC News,
15 Jan. 2025
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The AfD has strongly rejected the designation, portraying it as a political attempt to discredit the party.—
Vanessa Gera,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near libel
Cite this Entry
“Libel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/libel. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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