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
Brad Townsend, Dallas Morning News, 19 Feb. 2026
Kennedy's attorneys are claiming defamation both in the form of libel and slander, and are alleging civil conspiracy to make false accusations, along with assault, battery, and more.
—Lauren Linder, CBS News, 4 Feb. 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
Second-year associate Babcock won the appeal, a landmark ruling that established qualified First Amendment privilege for reporters in civil libel cases.
—Brad Townsend, Dallas Morning News, 19 Feb. 2026
Kennedy's attorneys are claiming defamation both in the form of libel and slander, and are alleging civil conspiracy to make false accusations, along with assault, battery, and more.
—Lauren Linder, CBS News, 4 Feb. 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
-
Claiming defamation and invasion of privacy, seven deputies from the raid sued.—
Vanity Fair,
Vanity Fair,
21 Mar. 2026
-
The president and his allies continue to allege the machines deleted or switched votes in 2020, despite no supporting evidence and big money paid to Dominion in defamation settlements.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Mullin did not apologize for his remarks and instead accused Paul of smearing his character.—
Andrea Castillo,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
-
The pigment lasts all day without smearing.—
Catharine Malzahn,
Glamour,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
People tried to murder him, incarcerate him, slander him.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Now, the ultimate question of whether Walters slandered Miller will return to the district court.—
Dale Denwalt,
Oklahoman,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Some of the humor was mildly edgy, including jokes about pedophiles, the Epstein files and disgraced royal Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Radcliffe plays Arthur, a documentary filmmaker hired by Morgan’s disgraced former football player, Reggie, to make a The Last Dance–style documentary and facilitate Reggie’s comeback.—
Eliana Dockterman,
Time,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
These videos mislead the public and can defame individuals or groups.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Pournouri had alleged that a Netflix documentary two years before the 2018 death of the DJ, whose real name is Tim Bergling, and two posthumously released books defamed him, violating a 2016 agreement that supposedly prevented Bergling from speaking about their partnership.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The company, run by two former Israeli intelligence agents, has been involved in a number of controversies over the years, including an undercover operation on behalf of the film mogul Harvey Weinstein to discredit his accusers.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Over the past year, this FCC has attacked the media as part of a years-long campaign by this Administration and its allies to discredit factual, independent coverage while blaming the press for growing public distrust.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Libel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/libel. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
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