as in defamation
the making of false statements that damage another's reputation
the governor's office issued a statement accusing the state's largest newspaper of libel
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to smear
to make untrue and harmful statements about
the court decided that the newspaper's reportage of the former mayor, while irresponsible, did not constitute an effort to libel him
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of libel
Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 10 Apr. 2026
Online filings show Harry and his friend, Mark Dyer, a former trustee at the charity, are being sued for either libel or slander.
—Brian Melley, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2025
Wright got so big on social media even Piers Morgan invited her to libel Jay Z and Beyonce on his platform.
—Rob Marriott, VIBE.com, 30 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for libel
Noun
Prince Harry is being sued for libel by his former charity Sentebale.
—Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 10 Apr. 2026
Online filings show Harry and his friend, Mark Dyer, a former trustee at the charity, are being sued for either libel or slander.
—Brian Melley, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
Please ask your daughter to stop libeling Miss Manners.
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2025
Wright got so big on social media even Piers Morgan invited her to libel Jay Z and Beyonce on his platform.
—Rob Marriott, VIBE.com, 30 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for libel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for libel
Noun
-
Those efforts resulted in criminal charges against Giuliani in two states and a defamation lawsuit from election workers in Georgia.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
4 May 2026
-
And, Liman noted, there’s a high bar for public figures to sue for defamation even if there were false statements.—
Victoria Bekiempis,
Vulture,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Farran asked, gazing at their graves — cardboard signs smeared with handwritten Arabic because the war has made a proper burial in their village impossible.—
Isabel Debre,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Your goal is to remove messes, not smear them.—
Louise Parks,
Martha Stewart,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Well, to slander their enemies.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
23 Apr. 2026
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Let evil recoil on those who slander Kendra; in your faithfulness destroy them.—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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New Orleans has long been notorious for embracing such scoundrels, a reputation that isn’t exactly helped by the fact that, for many years, disgraced attorneys who lost their licenses in Louisiana and applied for readmission to the bar often got it.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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These brands have pulled sponsorship of Wireless Festival, which disgraced itself recently by scheduling Ye (formerly Kanye West) to headline.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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David Loy, the legal director for the nonpartisan First Amendment Coalition, said the measure would censor the free speech of all citizens, not just those who defamed or threatened immigrant aid workers.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 May 2026
-
On June 1, a seven-person jury reached a verdict, deciding that Depp proved ex-wife Heard defamed him.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But whereas leftist thinkers starting with Marx saw the liberal ideal as totally discredited, a mere camouflage for capitalist power, Habermas kept faith with the utopian potential of liberalism.—
Adam Kirsch,
The Atlantic,
3 May 2026
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The apparent goal is to discredit accusers in public — then circulate the smears to their social circles — as well as demoralize adversaries amid legal disputes, forcing quiet settlements on preferred terms.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Libel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/libel. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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