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
Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2025
Haneman also points to limitations of US privacy law, noting that only a few states criminalize defamation and libel of the dead, such as Idaho, Nevada, and Oklahoma.
—PC Magazine, 10 Aug. 2025
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
The Golem of Prague, rooted in 16th-century Jewish folklore, tells the story of Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel, a renowned Talmudic scholar and mystic who sought to protect the Jewish community of Prague from antisemitic attacks and blood libel accusations.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2025
Haneman also points to limitations of US privacy law, noting that only a few states criminalize defamation and libel of the dead, such as Idaho, Nevada, and Oklahoma.
—PC Magazine, 10 Aug. 2025
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
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Wachner later filed a civil lawsuit against Juilliard, accusing the school of defamation; that case was dismissed with prejudice by the New York Supreme Court in June 2023.—
Anastasia Tsioulcas,
NPR,
28 Aug. 2025
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Earlier this summer, an anti-SLAPP motion was used to defeat a defamation case at the University of Notre Dame.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Rubbing will smear the mud and cause a bigger problem.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
6 Sep. 2025
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Jason’s windshield was smeared, and the late-afternoon sunlight came through hazily.—
Akhil Sharma,
New Yorker,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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And slandering council members, who publicly supported Madigan before Khadija Walker was nominated, is disrespectful and insulting.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Aug. 2025
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Moreno calls accusations ‘slander’ In a statement provided to The Bee, Moreno denied the accusations and said she was being slandered.—
Nicole Nixon,
Sacbee.com,
9 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Terrorists masquerading as journalists disgrace the profession & put real war correspondents in mortal danger.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
27 Aug. 2025
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Today, the camp is no longer disgraced, having recently regained its liquor license after a century; hence, letting Wandawega kick up her heels and raise some hell once again.—
Kristin L. Wolfe,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The Southern Baptist Convention and an independent investigator are not liable for defaming a former SBC president in a historic report on abuse in the nation’s largest Protestant denomination, a federal judge ruled Monday.—
Liam Adams,
The Tennessean,
21 Aug. 2025
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Those found guilty of criticizing, insulting, defaming or threatening the king, queen, or heir apparent can be jailed for between three and 15 years for each count, with some sentences stretching to 50 years.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Eventually, however, Lowell’s ideas were discredited—Schiaparelli, once an ally, renounced them—and the world moved on.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
29 Aug. 2025
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By the end of the year, the cold fusion bubble had burst, the technology was discredited, and the concept relegated to bad spy fiction and conspiracy theories.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Libel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/libel. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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