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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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
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
That’s when his ugly-American calumny turned to blather.
—
Armond White,
National Review,
28 May 2025
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
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
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
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
That’s when his ugly-American calumny turned to blather.
—
Armond White,
National Review,
28 May 2025
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
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
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Baldoni, who denied the allegations, filed a gargantuan defamation suit for $400 million against Lively and her camp, as well as a $250 million libel suit against The New York Times’ coverage of the claims.
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Sabellico sued him for libel, arguing those comments were malicious and defamatory.
Noun
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Ashley failed to prove defamation, as there was no evidence Adam knowingly made false statements or that her reputation was harmed by the private complaint.
-
Griffin filed a federal defamation lawsuit in Nevada on Monday, June 15, saying her middle school classmate Joleene Altum made false allegations against Griffin, according to documents obtained obtained by USA TODAY.
Cite this Entry
“Calumny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/calumny. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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