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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of impugn
For example, opposition forces, led by Lee, have ruthlessly attacked the first lady, stirring mass protests and impugning her character.
—
Victor Cha, The Atlantic, 20 Dec. 2024
And all this week, Trump’s White House has savaged the reputation and impugned the integrity of Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, whose accidental inclusion on the national-security adviser’s group chat became the basis of Signalgate.
—Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2025
Rather, it is being used to impugn Baldoni's character and demonstrate malicious intent on his part.
—Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025
The issue here is not to impugn the individual Catholics who are decent people and who contribute to a more just society.
—Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impugn
Victor Cha, The Atlantic, 20 Dec. 2024
And all this week, Trump’s White House has savaged the reputation and impugned the integrity of Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, whose accidental inclusion on the national-security adviser’s group chat became the basis of Signalgate.
—Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2025
Rather, it is being used to impugn Baldoni's character and demonstrate malicious intent on his part.
—Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025
The issue here is not to impugn the individual Catholics who are decent people and who contribute to a more just society.
—Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impugn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impugn
Verb
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She was criticized by some for her expensive timepiece and for using prisoners as production props.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Carey criticized laissez-faire economics for degrading the British working class.—
Made by History,
Time,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Summary Stop blaming the algorithm for slow LinkedIn growth.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
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Duffy should listen to the lawyers, but instead the Trump Department of Justice has transferred the handling of the congestion price litigation from New York lawyers to some in D.C., blaming the SDNY for intentionally sabotaging the case in filing the letter where it could be seen by all.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Trump didn’t exactly condemn the missile strikes on Kyiv, the country’s second largest city.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2025
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On Friday, multiple freedom of the press organizations condemned the administration's latest move.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Kennedy has accused Big Pharma and Big Food of keeping Americans sick for profit.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
4 May 2025
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The pair accuse Ground Game of misappropriating their work to boost its fundraising and stature.—
Matt Hamilton,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impugn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impugn. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
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