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
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
Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impugned
Verb
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CEOs and experts have criticized universities for failing to keep up with the times; now that AI is here to stay, students had better be prepared to leverage it in their roles.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
28 Oct. 2025
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In recent months, conservative commentator Ben Shapiro has repeatedly criticized Tucker Carlson.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That same night, while the two friends were playing online together, her friend mentioned that her daughter had developed a cough and blamed it on the water balloons the kids had played with at the party.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
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Goldenrods are commonly blamed for fall allergies, though the true culprit is ragweed.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Venezuelan officials immediately denounced the move, calling it a threat to regional stability.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
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The landmark document, made known by Pope Paul VI in 1965, denounced antisemitism and combatted the narrative that Jews should be collectively blamed for Jesus’ crucifixion.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The exchange with the radio host went too far even for some of Mamdani’s Democratic critics, who condemned the conversation as Islamophobic.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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His legal team condemned the plan as unconstitutional and punitive, warning that without assurances from Liberia, Abrego Garcia could be sent back to El Salvador.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In Thursday’s indictment, federal investigators accused Rozier and other defendants of breaking the law by exploiting private information about players to win bets on NBA games.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
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Moscow has been accused of hybrid warfare measures in the region; German media outlet Kieler Nachrichten reported Thursday that the Russian amphibious Ropucha-class landing ship Aleksandr Shabalin anchored off the German coast and blocked a key shipping route between the Baltic and the North Seas.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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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
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The White House appealed to the Supreme Court, and now the high court has agreed to examine the appeal.—
Danielle Kurtzleben,
NPR,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impugned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impugned. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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