as in to libel
to make untrue and harmful statements about
the short-lived Sedition Act of 1798 made it illegal to calumniate the President of the United States
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in defamation
the making of false statements that damage another's reputation
his campaign's reliance on calumniation seems out of keeping with his claim that he's a new kind of politician
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for calumniate
Verb
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In 2022, Manhattan Federal Judge Jed Rakoff, who presided over both trials, decided The Times was not liable for defamation while jurors were deliberating, that the error amounted to unfortunate editorializing but not libel.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2025 -
As a new, inexpensive Chevrolet appeared in 1927 and The Dearborn Independent was sued for libeling a number of Jewish businessmen, Ford threw in the towel and apologized.—
George Pendle,
airmail.news,
15 Mar. 2025
Noun
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What To Know Wallace filed his defamation lawsuit following Lively's administrative complaint.—
Jenna Sundel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 May 2025
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Smartmatic and Fox News are each asking a New York judge to rule in their favor in the election systems company’s $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit against the network.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
1 May 2025
Verb
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The vacuum cleaner has powerful suction, and the mop cleans without sloshing and smearing water on the floor.—
Terri Williams,
Architectural Digest,
23 Apr. 2025
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The chance to get a bit dirty comes one floor below the restaurant, with a spa offering massages, facials and soon a mud room with muds from around the world for guests to smear on themselves while perched on seats heated to 98 degrees.—
Mike Nolan,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
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That brings us to the other calumnies Vance and Trump have directed at the Haitians in Springfield.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Sep. 2024
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This egregious calumny is not, however, attributable solely to the disease of the soul that translates into Republicanism according to Biden.—
The Editors,
National Review,
22 May 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Calumniate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/calumniate. Accessed 20 May. 2025.
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