CALUMNY Synonyms: 65 Similar and Opposite Words

calumny

noun

ˈka-ləm-nē

Definition of calumny

as in libel

the making of false statements that damage another's reputation a blogger whose site is little more than a foulmouthed forum for calumny and rumormongering

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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.

Recent Examples of calumny Pratt was just another angry New Yorker hectoring calumnies against all forms of authority. — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2026 The declaration also highlights the need to report facts, not suppress or falsify information, and avoid discrimination, bribery, and calumny. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 May 2026 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 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 Within Israel, though, the ICJ case is seen by most as a calumny that only proves antisemitism’s enduring nature. — Marc Champion, Twin Cities, 21 Jan. 2024

Recent Examples of Synonyms for calumny

Noun

Reuters — Jeffrey Archer, the bestselling British novelist and former politician who was jailed for lying in a high-profile libel case, has died aged 86, his publisher HarperCollins said on Monday.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026
His political career, which included a spell as the Conservative Party’s deputy chairman, was interrupted by a period in prison in 2001 after he was found guilty of lying and cheating in a 1987 libel case against The Daily Star newspaper.

— Jake Kanter, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of libel

Noun

Gibney has never been one to shy away from controversy, but even before Musk’s release, the film drew the ire of its subject and threats of a defamation lawsuit.

— Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 11 Oct. 2026
Conrad’s legal team includes Camille Vasquez, who was among the attorneys who represented actor Johnny Depp in his defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife, Amber Heard.

— Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of defamation

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calumnious

calumny

calvaries

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“Calumny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/calumny. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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noun

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