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
Michael Schneider, Variety, 18 Sep. 2025
Trump sued the news organization Monday, accusing the paper and four of its reporters of defamation and libel.
—Dominick Mastrangelo, The Hill, 18 Sep. 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
Ressa knows a thing or two about fighting a government that is trying to silence the free press; in the Philippines, she was arrested and later found guilty of libel due to the fact that Rappler was critical of then-President Rodrigo Duterte.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 18 Sep. 2025
Trump sued the news organization Monday, accusing the paper and four of its reporters of defamation and libel.
—Dominick Mastrangelo, The Hill, 18 Sep. 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
-
During the defamation trial, relatives of victims described threats and harassment from Jones’s followers who believed the claims.—
Jenna Sundel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
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Ciattarelli denied the claim and vowed to file a defamation lawsuit, according to reports.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Police entered the home on a welfare check and noticed blood smeared on the walls and furniture scattered across the living room.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
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Just smear fake blood on your face, get gussied up in your finest wedding attire, and make sure to pose throughout the night, your lips hovering just inches away from each other, but never quite touching.—
James Factora,
Them.,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Dearborn has often been slandered for simply coexisting peacefully, because the truth is, some people are uncomfortable, and frankly upset about seeing church steeples and mosque domes share the same skyline on roads.—
Niraj Warikoo,
Freep.com,
24 Sep. 2025
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In this article, the authors engage various writing devices to slander a good man assassinated for the crime of engaging in, and encouraging, free speech for all.—
James Gaylord,
Oc Register,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Set to shoot next year, the series follows Weaving as Alan Armstrong — a brilliant but disgraced lawyer who’s forced to represent a dog on death row, setting him on an unexpected path toward redemption and self-discovery.—
Ben Croll,
Variety,
13 Oct. 2025
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Mamdani, a democratic socialist, is currently the front-runner for New York City mayor, with his closest challenger being formerly disgraced mayor Andrew Cuomo.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Theodat alleges that Arroyo defamed her with false claims in the lawsuit, and that the Herald did so as well by reporting on the matter.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
12 Oct. 2025
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The filing points to two specific instances as evidence of Ray J defaming members of the famous family.—
Liza Esquibias,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the book, she's portrayed as someone suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and on anxiety medication, both of which are used to discredit her and paint her as unwell.—
Rebecca Aizin,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
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Bullmer attempts to discredit her until Carrie, dressed as Anne, backs her up.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Libel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/libel. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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