1
as in libels
to make untrue and harmful statements about
of course I want to win the election, but I refuse to defame my opponent in order to do so
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in accuses
archaic
to make a claim of wrongdoing against
so the harmless old woman was defamed of witchcraft
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defames
Verb
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This chilling, starkly beautiful ambient piece draws Nebraska’s marginal whispers to the forefront and smears them across the picture plane.—
Sasha Geffen,
Pitchfork,
10 Mar. 2026 -
The five pieces offer, in turn, biomorphic hints of de Kooning, the ragged shapes of Clyfford Still, the bold geometries of Ellsworth Kelly, the paint smears of Gerhard Richter, and something that looks like toothpaste squeezed onto an orange peel.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
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As Ukrainian leaders tout shifting war dynamics and conditional openness to talks, Moscow vows to safeguard ally Belarus, which Kyiv accuses of aiding Russian drone strikes, raising regional security tensions.—
Illia Novikov,
Los Angeles Times,
23 June 2026
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The government accuses Morales of financing and encouraging the roadblock protests to destabilize Paz’s administration and force a return to power.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
23 June 2026
Verb
-
Diomande just humiliates fullbacks.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
12 June 2026
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Incompetent leadership humiliates us on the global stage.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Verb
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The film neither glamorizes nor indicts Solanas, who Taylor humanizes without softening or sentimentalizing her.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
10 June 2026
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His intervention comes as Washington indicts and probes governors for alleged cartel ties.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Defames.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defames. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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