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
Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2026
That accusation — known as the blood libel — has been passed around for almost a thousand years.
—Mike Rothschild, Big Think, 31 Mar. 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
Baldoni’s own $400 million defamation claims against her camp and $250 million libel lawsuit against The New York Times have been tossed.
—Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2026
That accusation — known as the blood libel — has been passed around for almost a thousand years.
—Mike Rothschild, Big Think, 31 Mar. 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
-
Liman’s decision dropped Lively’s claims of harassment, defamation and conspiracy, meaning the trial will now center on alleged breach of contract and retaliation by Wayfarer and aiding and abetting retaliation by the PR firm working for Baldoni.—
Hilary Lewis,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Jones and his attorneys said the bid was faulty, and the trustee decided to move the case to Texas where Jones’ initial defamation suit occurred.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Many told me the liberal media had smeared them as racists, xenophobes and misogynists.—
Nataliya Gumenyuk,
The Dial,
21 Apr. 2026
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Lawyers for MacInnes have accused Wilson of hiring Melissa Nathan, the American publicist of The Agency Group, to launch websites that smeared Ghost.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Let evil recoil on those who slander Kendra; in your faithfulness destroy them.—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
14 Apr. 2026
-
People tried to murder him, incarcerate him, slander him.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 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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The acquisition came after Jones was found guilty multiple times of defaming the families of the children killed in the Sandy Hook shooting, after repeatedly describing the massacre as a hoax.—
Rolling Stone,
Rolling Stone,
22 Apr. 2026
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Similar allegations against Roberts-Smith were found credible in a civil court case in 2023 when a judge rejected his claims that newspaper articles defamed him.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Robert Brulle, a visiting professor at Brown University who studies fossil fuel lobbying, said ExxonMobil led efforts to discredit climate science that successfully impeded government intervention.—
Alex Kuffner,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
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New science and forensics have since discredited the expert’s conclusion, prompting Gurley to throw out the convictions and order a new trial.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Libel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/libel. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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