as in criticized
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 impugned
But the Pentagon’s representatives seemed to feel impugned.
—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 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
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impugned
Verb
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Legal experts such as the Polish Ombudsman, which protects civil and human rights in Poland, and the UNHCR have criticized Poland's suspension of the right to asylum.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
At the time, Magyar criticized the decision as a distraction from other issues affecting citizens, and said his government would protect the right to assembly, but steered clear of an explicit statement in support of that cause.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Scottish National Party, for example, has blamed Westminster for allowing Grangemouth — which supplied all of Scotland's kerosene — to close.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Gallup’s own senior education researcher, Zach Hrynowski, blamed the bad vibes at least partially on the dwindling job market.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch denounced a sustained crackdown on dissent under Talon, citing arbitrary detentions, tighter restrictions on public demonstrations and mounting pressure on independent media outlets.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
That was outrageous – not merely to the teachers unions who denounced it as racist and uninformed but to their allies in the mainstream media.—
Will Swaim,
Oc Register,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Advocacy groups that have issued grave warnings about AI’s risks to society condemned the violence.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
13 Apr. 2026
-
In that speech, Carney condemned economic coercion by great powers against smaller countries and received widespread praise for his remarks.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Putin unilaterally declared a 30-hour ceasefire last Easter, but each side accused the other of breaking it.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
In the run-up to the vote, Orbán accused Ukraine of sabotaging a key oil pipeline, while Hungarian authorities seized a shipment of cash from a Ukrainian bank.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But then federal prosecutors appealed a judge's decision granting him bond with electronic monitoring, and the judge agreed Friday to put it on hold while that appeal plays out.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Gilbert appealed Wilson’s ruling; however, in December 2024, a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel turned down Gilbert’s appeal, per Courthouse News Service.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impugned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impugned. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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