as in libel
the making of false statements that damage another's reputation
accused the newspaper columnist of defamation of character
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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 defamation
Claims of conspiracy, defamation and trespassing have swirled.
—
Dana Hedgpeth The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 24 May 2026
Sonko, who heads the Pastef party, was barred from running after a defamation conviction was upheld by Senegal's supreme court, and the Constitutional Court dismissed his candidacy.
—ABC News, 22 May 2026
Now new walls are rising around them, to protect against the violence stirred by campaigns of defamation.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
Jackson also filed a defamation lawsuit against Jones in Fulton County Superior Court after Jones' campaign alleged on social media that Jackson had made his fortune recruiting for Planned Parenthood and helping doctors perform transgender procedures on minors.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for defamation
Dana Hedgpeth The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 24 May 2026
Sonko, who heads the Pastef party, was barred from running after a defamation conviction was upheld by Senegal's supreme court, and the Constitutional Court dismissed his candidacy.
—ABC News, 22 May 2026
Now new walls are rising around them, to protect against the violence stirred by campaigns of defamation.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
Jackson also filed a defamation lawsuit against Jones in Fulton County Superior Court after Jones' campaign alleged on social media that Jackson had made his fortune recruiting for Planned Parenthood and helping doctors perform transgender procedures on minors.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for defamation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defamation
libel
Noun
-
Zenger was arrested and accused of seditious libel or content that challenged the authority of the state.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
28 May 2026
-
The nation's highest court overturned a libel case against the newspaper, which had run an ad condemning police treatment of civil rights demonstrators in Montgomery, Alabama.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defamation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defamation. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
