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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
or libelling
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
Noun
-
Where are all of the activists who lined the streets screaming about a fake genocide and lying about Israeli apartheid and other libels?—
Bobby Zirkin,
Baltimore Sun,
8 Jan. 2026 -
Challenges about potential points of libel.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The vacuum cleaner has powerful suction, 8,000 Pa, and the mop cleans without sloshing and smearing water on the floor.—
Terri Williams,
Architectural Digest,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Despite the controversy, most Glamour staffers can recall smearing on play makeup or stealing mommy’s moisturizer.—
Ariana Yaptangco,
Glamour,
13 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
In 1996, a federal judge rejected Busfield’s defamation claims and ordered the actor to pay the law firm $150,000, People reported.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Trump is suing the BBC for $5B over defamation and for another $5B over violations of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Dos Passos left Spain, but Hemingway didn’t let up, slandering him in print for a good while after.—
Vince Passaro,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Among election delusion peddlers, Oltmann has distinguished himself by calling for violence and defaming innocent people.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
31 Dec. 2025
-
Weeks after the initial complaint was filed in May, Robinson filed a $500 million cross-complaint that accused the plaintiffs and their legal counsel of defaming him at a press conference.—
Rachel DeSantis,
PEOPLE,
10 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Angel went for a respectful middle-of-the-road jab — complimenting her parenting and resilience, but maligning her for being petty.—
Shamira Ibrahim,
Vulture,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Defense attorneys have also decried violations of fair-trial rights, saying that the prosecutor in the cases has sought to influence the jury pool by maligning those charged.—
LAUREN CARASIK,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Feb. 2017
Verb
-
The plotting becomes needlessly complicated at times, such as with Jack becoming a local hero after foiling a burglary, and later disgracing himself with a drunken tirade at a Christmas tree lighting ceremony, which leads to him being arrested and put on trial.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
With his trademark military fatigues, slender Cohiba cigars, and marathon speeches vilifying Uncle Sam, Castro captured the imaginations of aspiring revolutionaries and millions of others around the world.—
Brian Winter,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
-
The administration, for its part, has been vilifying Dugan on social media.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Dec. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Libeling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/libeling. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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