as in defamation
the making of false statements that damage another's reputation
warned that the constant vilification of candidates for public office was undermining the people's faith in the political system
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Recent Examples of vilification
The Virology authors warn that the vilification of scientists whose research supports the zoonosis hypothesis will leave society defenseless when the next pandemic threat emerges.
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Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2024
Despite prolonged suppression and vilification, the animal rights movement has endured.
—Sunaura Taylor, Vox, 7 Aug. 2024
Executives’ excitement for Harris is both stylistic and substantive—with her instinctive preference for centrist governance, constructive problem solving, and collaboration over vilification.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, TIME, 26 July 2024
Her expansive body of work covers themes of love, lust and longing, as well as friendship, vilification, grief, self-interrogation and self-actualisation.
—Crystal Andrews, refinery29.com, 21 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for vilification 
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2024
Despite prolonged suppression and vilification, the animal rights movement has endured.
—Sunaura Taylor, Vox, 7 Aug. 2024
Executives’ excitement for Harris is both stylistic and substantive—with her instinctive preference for centrist governance, constructive problem solving, and collaboration over vilification.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, TIME, 26 July 2024
Her expansive body of work covers themes of love, lust and longing, as well as friendship, vilification, grief, self-interrogation and self-actualisation.
—Crystal Andrews, refinery29.com, 21 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for vilification
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vilification
Noun
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The other verdict, for more than $83 million in her earlier defamation case, is also on appeal.Democrat-Gazette staff from wire reports, arkansasonline.com, 23 Nov. 2024
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Wilson’s team had argued that the defamation case should be dismissed because Wilson’s claims were in the public interest.Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 22 Nov. 2024
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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The Northwest Indiana congressman, the frontrunner in Indiana’s open U.S. Senate race, declined invitations from the Debate Commission, which has drawn criticism from his opponents.Kayla Dwyer, The Indianapolis Star, 28 Nov. 2024
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As the conflict in Gaza has dragged on, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced criticism internationally and domestically for what critics say is his prioritization of keeping together his fractious hard-right and religious coalition government — and his job — over a ceasefire deal.David Hodari, NBC News, 28 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near vilification
Cite this Entry
“Vilification.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vilification. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
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