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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Petro criticized delays in efforts to modernize the country’s military fleet.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Modernizing the military Colombian President Gustavo Petro, in the twilight of his administration, on March 23 criticized bureaucratic obstacles for delaying his plans to modernize the military.—
Luis Jaime Acosta,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Ukrainian officials have blamed the damage on Russian drone attacks.—
LORNE COOK THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Another witness told police that Nicholas was angry with Richardson over a car accident for which the suspect blamed the victim.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Environmental groups denounced the TotalEnergies deal as an alternate way to block wind projects.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Washington County commissioners have expressed support for the project, but Hagerstown's mayor has denounced it.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The president of United Farm Workers — the union co-founded by Chavez and Huerta in 1962 — condemned Chavez’s acts.—
Kevinisha Walker,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
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The statement, carried by Iran’s Tasnim news agency, condemned the attacks as criminal actions by the US and Israel, while reassuring that the site’s operations and surrounding areas remain secure and radiation levels are unaffected.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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One person pointed to Dan Caldwell, a former top adviser to War Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon, who was fired last year after his involvement in the Signalgate scandal and later accused of leaking information to reporters.—
Christian Datoc,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Mar. 2026
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Trump had also accused NATO allies of cowardice over their reluctance to help open the strait.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
22 Mar. 2026
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 24 Mar. 2026.
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