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
Hoover may have decided that, if Liuzzo’s character could be sufficiently impugned, then any potential backlash to the Bureau’s connection to an incident involving the murder of a married white mother could be avoided.
—
Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 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
Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 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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President Masoud Pezeshkian apologized for attacks on neighboring countries, but hard-liners criticized that and said the war strategy would continue.—
Cara Anna,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
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Army vehicles carrying the launchers and other equipment arrived past midnight in a highly secretive mission criticized by residents.—
Mari Yamaguchi,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The executive, Deputy Chief Financial Officer Janine Lim, blamed the delay, in part, on staff resignations and plummeting morale amid uncertainty over the agency’s future.—
Andrew Khouri,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
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In the hearing, which stretched nearly five hours, Noem defended her agency’s treatment of immigrants caught up in enforcement activities, and blamed activists and others for attacks against officers.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Massive protests broke out following the 2020 elections, which were widely denounced as fraudulent.—
Yuras Karmanau,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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Former recruitment chair denounced in Coral Gables Dariel Gonzalez, who was FIU’s College Republicans’ recruitment chairman at the time the group chat was created, was removed from a volunteer position in Coral Gables and is no longer an intern at a local architecture firm.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a group dedicated to the civil rights of Muslim Americans, immediately condemned the congressman's words.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
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Those chats at the time were condemned by GOP leaders including House Speaker Mike Johnson, though Vice President JD Vance notably declined to denounce them.—
Andrew Lapin,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Federal authorities have accused Casap of planning his parents’ murders, buying a drone and explosives and sharing his plans with others, including a Russian speaker.—
Todd Richmond,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
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Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency has accused Israel of striking the airport.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
7 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 11 Mar. 2026.
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