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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In addition to the issues with the tax collector and the city’s credit card, Stewart was also criticized by Fazio for skipping two consecutive debates last week in Farmington and Berlin.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
11 May 2026
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Carr publicly criticized the late-night host for remarks made about the killing of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk, which was followed by Kimmel’s show being removed from the air for several days before it was reinstated.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Each side has blamed the other for ceasefire violations.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
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The report, which was reviewed by The Times, blamed the issue on lax oversight and confusion among officers about when they were required to press record.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Patrick, a Republican who is the Texas lieutenant governor, repeatedly denounced a concept that is embedded in Supreme Court precedent.—
Peter Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
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Patrick, a Republican who is the Texas lieutenant governor, repeatedly denounced a concept that is embedded in Supreme Court precedent.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 May 2026
Verb
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China’s excessive work culture became such a problem that it was condemned by the country’s top court in 2021.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
10 May 2026
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Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack and offered condolences to the victims’ families in a statement.—
Riaz Khan,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
Verb
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Jenkinson, who faces two counts, is accused of threatening Andrew on Wednesday and another man on Tuesday.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
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Ruben Flores, who was accused of helping to dispose of Smart’s remains, was found not guilty of being an accessory to the crime.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
Verb
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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 15 May. 2026.
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