as in criticizes
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 impugns
Harbour wants to explain his side of a tabloid story that impugns not just his relationship with a colleague, but his professionalism.
—
Daniel D'addario,
Variety,
10 June 2026
None of this impugns Moskowitz’s or Fry’s motives.
—
Patrick Eddington,
Oc Register,
1 June 2026
Daniel D'addario,
Variety,
10 June 2026
None of this impugns Moskowitz’s or Fry’s motives.
—
Patrick Eddington,
Oc Register,
1 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impugns
Verb
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How can people with such a strong attachment to faith and family vote for someone who criticizes religious leaders and defies so many ethical standards?
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Read's suit criticizes police for not searching the home where O'Keefe was found for blood, fingerprints or DNA evidence.
Verb
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Trump blames vandalism for the troubles with the reflecting pool renovation, announces people are being arrested.
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Jessie blames technology for toy misfortunes, getting angry at all forms of technology, even those already discarded.
Verb
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Ellison denounces the allegations as a baseless political stunt, warning that using prosecutorial power to pursue rivals instead of protecting public programs erodes trust in democratic institutions.
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The project denounces Haiti’s justice system through the story of a woman imprisoned for years without trial and later judged not by law, but by scripture.
Verb
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As Ukrainian leaders tout shifting war dynamics and conditional openness to talks, Moscow vows to safeguard ally Belarus, which Kyiv accuses of aiding Russian drone strikes, raising regional security tensions.
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The government accuses Morales of financing and encouraging the roadblock protests to destabilize Paz’s administration and force a return to power.
Verb
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Victim's mother condemns domestic violence In a statement, Beaver's mother, Susan Beaver, said domestic violence affects too many families.
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Olson went on to say that the Holy Father, like his predecessors, consistently condemns acts of terrorism, including those sanctioned by Iran and its surrogates in the Middle East.
Cite this Entry
“Impugns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impugns. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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