IMPUGNING Synonyms: 53 Similar and Opposite Words

impugning

verb

present participle of impugn

as in criticizing

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.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of impugning Ehlers’ duty as a public official includes upholding and respecting the legal process, not impugning it. — U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for impugning

Verb

Pentecostal parents Ruth and Marius were accused of domestic violence, with worldwide protests criticizing what dissenters called harsh and hasty steps taken by Norwegian social workers without proper evidence.

— Tomris Laffly, Time, 23 Oct. 2026
Cofer is criticizing Guerra’s absence from the vote and is asking him to publicly state his position on the partnership.

— Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of criticizing

Verb

Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving, Stephen Curry and other NBA stars largely avoided criticizing China during the controversy, despite frequently denouncing the state of America.

— Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
His town halls have a distinctly populist pitch to voters denouncing money in politics.

— Barbara Sprunt, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of denouncing

Verb

An earlier criminal case accusing Comey of having lied to Congress in 2020 was dismissed by a judge who concluded that the prosecutor who filed the charges was illegally appointed.

— Michael R. Sisak, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
In October, 2022, Ammann’s sisters filed a criminal complaint accusing Georg Frei of failing to get her to a hospital promptly.

— D. T. Max, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of accusing

Verb

López’s murder sparked global outcry, with Pope Francis, the United Nations and the human rights arm of the Organization of American States condemning the incident and calling for an independent investigation.

— Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026
Acton spent Tuesday condemning Ramaswamy for the ad even before his campaign confirmed its provenance.

— Julie Carr Smyth, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of condemning

Browse Nearby Words

impugned

impugning

impugns

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Impugning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impugning. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of impugning

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

wraith

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes