as in erroneous
causing or intended to cause unjust injury to a person's good name
a calumnious campaign ad that went well beyond the negativity to which voters had become so richly accustomed
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for calumnious
Adjective
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Guillard, 41, of Houston, published more than 100 videos that made erroneous allegations against Scofield, according to court records.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
23 Feb. 2026 -
The statement updated an earlier erroneous statement that the mall closed, police said.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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In recent weeks, though, her group has doubled in size, and while in the past there were only two or three posts per day, Mitchell and her new moderators now have to wade through 60-plus comments ranging from helpful to libelous.—
Brenna Ehrlich,
Rolling Stone,
25 Apr. 2025
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And in this age of clickbait journalism, even those members of the legacy media have resorted to libelous headlines and false reports to generate views.—
Zach Schonfeld,
The Hill,
24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Keefer called these claims baseless and slanderous.—
Bradley Hohulin,
IndyStar,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Walz, who suspended his campaign for a third term in office just weeks after Thompson’s remarks, described the $9 billion figure as speculative and defamatory.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
23 Feb. 2026
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Defendant Metcalf provided false information to Defendant Johnson about what Plaintiff Kennedy allegedly said, thereby instigating and authorizing the publication of the defamatory and reckless statements, which were intended to harm Plaintiff Kennedy.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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McFadden’s scandalous tenure McFadden, 66, was first elected in 2018.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Mar. 2026
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Most recently, the scandalous conflict between Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott and Baltimore City Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming highlights the vital role an inspector general can play in public accountability and fiscal stewardship.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Richards and the governor’s office pushed back on false assertions that Newsom and his wife, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, were stealing money from the state through her office that same day.—
Taryn Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Air power cannot overthrow a government, some say, which is on one level true—a fighter jet cannot take the keys to the presidential palace, after all—and on another level, obviously false.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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And the claim of widespread abuse of sheep during shearing is incorrect.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
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More than 14,000 child car seats were recalled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) after officials said incorrect information was included in the seats' safety manuals.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
3 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Calumnious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/calumnious. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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