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
-
Mira cried, when Andy criticized Nate for being unsupportive.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
The Florida black bear, one of 16 subspecies of the American black bear, is often lauded as a Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission success story, though the agency was sharply criticized for staging a hunt of the state’s largest land mammal last year.—
Stephen Hudak,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Gatkhor Dual, an opposition official coordinating aid in Jonglei state, blamed county commissioner James Bol Makuei for blocking humanitarian access.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
In a statement, a spokesperson for Angels In The Asylum blamed the closure on the film being unable to resolve financing issues with John Cairns and his company, Parkland Pictures.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Candelora had denounced threats against Paris, none coming from Howard.—
Mark Pazniokas,
Hartford Courant,
2 May 2026
-
Lai vowed Taiwan ‘will never be deterred by external pressures,’ while China denounced the visit.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
Verb
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One of the videos was first posted by Martin Shkreli, a former pharmaceutical executive who was widely condemned for hiking the cost of a lifesaving HIV drug.—
Allison Gordon,
CNN Money,
4 May 2026
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But Monday afternoon Lamont campaign Political Director Rob Blanchard condemned the image.—
Kaitlin McCallum,
Hartford Courant,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Other signs accused Bezos of not paying enough in taxes.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
2 May 2026
-
The commission has reviewed other cases involving officers from around the state accused of misconduct, among them several from the LAPD, including a former homicide detective repeatedly arrested on drunk driving charges and a detective accused of purchasing a possible silencer from China.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
Louisiana appealed to our court and sought a stay pending appeal.—
Aria Bendix,
NBC news,
1 May 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Impugned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impugned. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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