libeling 1 of 2

noun

variants or libelling
as in libel
the making of false statements that damage another's reputation the underhanded politician resorted to libeling when it became clear that that was the only way he was going to win the election

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

libeling

2 of 2

verb

variants or libelling
present participle of libel
as in smearing
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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for libeling
  1. libel
  2. smearing
  3. defamation
  4. slandering
  5. defaming
  6. maligning
  7. disgracing
  8. vilifying
Noun
  • Top United Nations official Vanessa Frazier is facing a furious backlash after spreading a sick, fake-news blood libel against Israel on social media.
    — Staff, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
  • The complaint stated that Meta has declined to file a libel or defamation claim against Wynn-Williams.
    — Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 25 June 2026
Definition of libel
Verb
  • At the entrance of Kollparay, Quispe pauses, taking my hands and smearing them with soil—the soil of her village.
    — Paola Miglio, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 June 2026
  • This will lead to smearing dust particles around instead of picking them up, which is where a wet cloth comes into play.
    — Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 5 June 2026
Definition of smearing
Noun
  • In June, a federal judge ordered Baldoni and his production company to pay Lively’s attorney fees related to his unsuccessful defamation lawsuit against her, but rejected her bid for additional damages.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • Baldoni accused Lively, her husband, Ryan Reynolds, the couple's publicist, Leslie Sloane, and others of extortion and defamation, among other claims.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 July 2026
Definition of defamation
Verb
  • Shocking lies Within hours, the administration was slandering her.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 17 Jan. 2026
  • And then the media was slandering our dad’s name and reputation after a lifetime of being a fairly wholesome guy.
    — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 31 Dec. 2025
Definition of slandering
Verb
  • The president sued the Times last year, accusing it of defaming him, disparaging his reputation and seeking to undermine his 2024 candidacy.
    — Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 11 July 2026
  • The jury was allowed to find that Trump would not stop defaming Carroll unless he was hit with a substantial financial penalty, the court continued.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 2 June 2026
Definition of defaming
Verb
  • Policymakers defend draconian cuts to Medicaid by maligning the work ethic or honesty of low-income women, despite substantial evidence to the contrary.
    — Jocelyn Frye, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 June 2026
  • Underneath it, the authors of the flyer listed a few dubious talking points maligning immigrants.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Apr. 2026
Definition of maligning
Verb
  • Social media users have critiqued her body both when with and without child and have accused her of disgracing the image of Black women.
    — Meagan Jordan, VIBE.com, 10 July 2026
  • Why are adults so comfortable publicly disgracing Black teenage girls going to their prom and being cruel toward strangers who are sometimes half their age?
    — Essence, Essence, 11 May 2026
Definition of disgracing
Verb
  • By vilifying others, Marx could use moral superiority to legally steal from those who had more.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 9 July 2026
  • Judge Salas told us vilifying judges is eroding trust in the courts.
    — Heather Abbott, CBS News, 7 June 2026
Definition of vilifying
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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libeling
libelist
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Cite this Entry

“Libeling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/libeling. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of libeling for Spanish Speakers

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