as in criticism
an unfair criticism or false accusation meant to damage another's reputation
Let's keep the debate focused on the issues and try to avoid casting aspersions on one another. I don't mean to cast aspersions on his integrity, but I'm not sure I'd trust him with the money.
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Recent Examples of aspersion
The entire point of declaring some rock cool is to cast further aspersions on the actual popular rock bands at the time.
—
Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 21 July 2025
Any aspersions for the prevalence of fake Louis Vuitton should be cast on Canal Street in New York, not in France.
—Marcus Thompson Ii, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025
Even as China’s coercive capabilities and threatening behavior have rightly focused U.S. attention on the risks to American interests, the absence of clear metrics for success leaves the door open for partisan aspersions of the Biden administration’s approach.
—Jessica Chen Weiss, Foreign Affairs, 16 Sep. 2024
The author casts unconfirmed aspersions on the agency.
—Torie Bosch, STAT, 23 Dec. 2023
See All Example Sentences for aspersion
Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 21 July 2025
Any aspersions for the prevalence of fake Louis Vuitton should be cast on Canal Street in New York, not in France.
—Marcus Thompson Ii, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025
Even as China’s coercive capabilities and threatening behavior have rightly focused U.S. attention on the risks to American interests, the absence of clear metrics for success leaves the door open for partisan aspersions of the Biden administration’s approach.
—Jessica Chen Weiss, Foreign Affairs, 16 Sep. 2024
The author casts unconfirmed aspersions on the agency.
—Torie Bosch, STAT, 23 Dec. 2023
See All Example Sentences for aspersion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aspersion
Noun
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China’s Hong Kong and Macau affairs office issued a scathing criticism of the Panama Supreme Court’s ruling that CK Hutchison’s contract to operate two Panama Canal-adjacent ports is unconstitutional—further ramping up international rhetoric surrounding the future of the gateways.—
Sourcing Journal,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Feb. 2026
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Louvre Museum tightens security measures News of the robbery shocked the world and sparked criticism over the museum's inadequate security and crumbling infrastructure.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The governing bodies for sports ranging from swimming and track to pursuits like chess and darts have banned trans women from women’s events.—
Jo Yurcaba,
NBC news,
31 Jan. 2026
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There will also be games to play, like corn hole, darts and board games.—
Alyson Rodriguez,
Dallas Morning News,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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One person was killed and two others were injured in an overnight Russian attack using drones and powerful glide bombs on the central Dnipropetrovsk region, according to the head of the regional military administration, Oleksandr Hanzha.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Feb. 2026
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The overnight attacks follow a recent lull in strikes on energy infrastructure by both sides, which was proposed by the US.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The tour is focused on getting the top names to play together more often, and reducing the number of events is one way to do that.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
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Saman, who asked ABC News not to use his full name for fear of his safety, was in Rasht -- the largest city on Iran's Caspian Sea coast -- when the major protests formed.—
Somayeh Malekian,
ABC News,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Shapiro released a special 41-minute episode of his podcast detailing Fuentes’s career of calumnies against Black people, Indian Americans, Jews, and women—and called out Carlson’s refusal to confront the young white supremacist about any of it.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
4 Feb. 2026
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The Sermon on the ‘Mount episode also represented, amid the resulting furor on the right, a canny announcement that the collected calumnies of creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are finally available on the Paramount Plus streaming service, after years licensed on Warner Bros.—
David Bloom,
Forbes.com,
28 July 2025
Noun
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At the time of his censure, Wyatt was vice chairman.—
Reed Williams,
AJC.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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Both of those items were not proposed during the latest censure debate.—
Sierra Lopez,
Mercury News,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The House was poised to move forward with holding the Clintons in contempt this week after the pair refused to comply with bipartisan subpoenas for interviews.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Feb. 2026
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Throughout his sentencing, the unrepentant Routh displayed contempt for the proceedings, even offering to trade his life in a prisoner swap.—
David Fischer,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Aspersion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aspersion. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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