as in to criticize
formal
to criticize (a person's character, intentions, etc.) by suggesting that someone is not honest and should not be trusted
He impugned his rival's character. Her motives have been scrutinized and impugned.
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Recent Examples of impugn
Cohen still got disciplined for lack of diligence, impugning the qualifications and integrity of a judge, and engaging in conduct that’s prejudicial to the administration of justice.
—
David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 9 Feb. 2026
So the markets are the ultimate arbiter of over whether the Fed’s independence is being impugned.
—NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026
The school board argued that Pickering’s statements were false and that the reputation of the district and its employees had been impugned.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2025
Ehlers’ duty as a public official includes upholding and respecting the legal process, not impugning it.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impugn
David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 9 Feb. 2026
So the markets are the ultimate arbiter of over whether the Fed’s independence is being impugned.
—NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026
The school board argued that Pickering’s statements were false and that the reputation of the district and its employees had been impugned.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2025
Ehlers’ duty as a public official includes upholding and respecting the legal process, not impugning it.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impugn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impugn
Verb
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Raman wasn’t endorsed by any of her colleagues on the City Council, and she has been criticized by some community leaders in her district for not paying close enough attention to their concerns.—
Noah Goldberg,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
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The Grand Prix has been criticized as a processional where Saturday hot laps decide the result.—
Sahil Kapur,
NBC news,
7 June 2026
Verb
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Iran blamed the United States for the escalation.—
Jon Gambrell,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2026
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The leftist indoctrination in K-12 schools, as well as universities, is largely to blame for the youth vote’s enthusiasm for socialism and communism.—
Betsy McCaughey,
Boston Herald,
8 June 2026
Verb
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Earlier this week, Next Generation Action Network, a civil rights organization that has been advocating in favor of Anthony, denounced the racial makeup of the jurors.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
6 June 2026
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The Iranian government denounced Persepolis and successfully lobbied for the film’s removal from the Bangkok International Film Festival.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2026
Verb
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The Art Directors Guild released a statement on social media on Tuesday condemning Martin Scorsese’s recent partnership with AI startup Black Forest Labs.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
10 June 2026
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Israel and the United States condemned the move, accusing the court of equating Israeli leaders with Hamas terrorists.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
10 June 2026
Verb
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That case comes after Jonathan Hay, a music publicist who spoke extensively to CNN last year, accused Combs of masturbating in front of him on one occasion in 2020 and forced him to perform oral sex on him in 2021.—
Elizabeth Wagmeister,
CNN Money,
11 June 2026
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Bass also accused Raman of repeatedly opposing efforts to address encampments near schools and increase police staffing.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impugn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impugn. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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