smearing 1 of 2

noun

Definition of smearingnext
as in defamation
the making of false statements that damage another's reputation this smearing has got to stop, or the voters will conclude that there's absolutely no one worth voting for

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

smearing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of smear
1
as in coating
to rub an oily or sticky substance over the toddler gleefully smeared her hair and face with maple syrup

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in libelling
to make untrue and harmful statements about he is willing to smear his opponent if doing so would win the election

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Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for smearing
  1. defamation
  2. libel
  3. painting
  4. discrediting
Noun
  • Thursday Rudy Giuliani is scheduled to appear before a federal judge in Washington, DC, on a motion to hold him in contempt related to a defamation lawsuit filed by two Georgia election workers.
    Andrew Torgan, CNN, 8 Dec. 2024
  • Nelson brought and settled two defamation lawsuits over Eminem's statements about her in magazines and on radio talk shows.
    CBS News, CBS News, 4 Dec. 2024
Definition of defamation
Noun
  • The series’s portrait of John, now a remarried grandfather, bears no trace of the litigious figure who hired Trump attorney L. Lin Wood early on to sue media outlets for libel.
    Alessa Dominguez, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2024
  • In September 2022, PEOPLE reported that the star was dating another of his lawyers, Joelle Rich, who represented him in his 2020 U.K. libel suit against British tabloid The Sun.
    Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 2 Nov. 2024
Definition of libel
Verb
  • But a simple count of the number of counties that moved in one direction isn't especially helpful in painting this picture.
    Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 10 Dec. 2024
  • Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers rallied in support of Penny, painting him as a hero.
    Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 10 Dec. 2024
Definition of painting
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of discrediting
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near smearing

smeared

smearing

smears

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Cite this Entry

“Smearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smearing. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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More from Merriam-Webster on smearing

Nglish: Translation of smearing for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of smearing for Arabic Speakers

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