as in libel
the making of false statements that damage another's reputation
accused the newspaper columnist of defamation of character
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Recent Examples of defamation
The verdict came June 1, 2022: Depp won his defamation claims, and Heard won one of her three counterclaims.
—
Benjamin Vanhoose, People.com, 17 June 2025
In response, Baldoni—who directed the movie as well—and production company Wayfarer Studios filed a $400 million lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and her publicist Leslie Sloane, which alleged extortion, defamation and more.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025
On Monday, Lindell took the stand in the defamation trial, which is being held at a federal courthouse in Denver and expected to continue this week.
—Anne Marie D. Lee, CBS News, 10 June 2025
Justin Baldoni's lawyer said Blake Lively should hold off on celebrating after a judge dismissed the actor's $400 million defamation lawsuit against her.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for defamation
Benjamin Vanhoose, People.com, 17 June 2025
In response, Baldoni—who directed the movie as well—and production company Wayfarer Studios filed a $400 million lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and her publicist Leslie Sloane, which alleged extortion, defamation and more.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025
On Monday, Lindell took the stand in the defamation trial, which is being held at a federal courthouse in Denver and expected to continue this week.
—Anne Marie D. Lee, CBS News, 10 June 2025
Justin Baldoni's lawyer said Blake Lively should hold off on celebrating after a judge dismissed the actor's $400 million defamation lawsuit against her.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for defamation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defamation
libel
Noun
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On New Year’s Eve, Baldoni sued The New York Times for $250 million for libel over their initial story about Lively’s allegations.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
2 May 2025
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This group also advises on libel, intellectual property, and other concerns relating to content.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
1 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defamation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defamation. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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