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
  • In response, Baldoni — and nine other plaintiffs, including publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel — sued the newspaper for libel and false light invasion of privacy, among other claims, over the article, and sought $250 million in damages.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2026
  • Wayfarer has since pushed back against Lively's request for $8 million in legal fees over Wayfarer's libel suit.
    — KiMi Robinson, USA Today, 28 July 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
  • Exasperated, the Justice Department filed a formal discrimination suit, whereupon Cohn countersued the government for defamation, seeking a hundred million dollars in damages.
    — Kai Bird, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Miller, who is running for reelection, has denied the allegations and has sued his ex-wife for defamation.
    — Diana Paulsen, ABC News, 2 Aug. 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
  • Rebel Wilson was found not liable of defaming a young actress who played the starring role in her directorial debut, The Deb.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 22 July 2026
  • The jury found Basabe liable for defaming both Frevola and his mother via the Twitter post but only awarded damages to the son.
    — Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 15 July 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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libelers
libeling
libelist
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Cite this Entry

“Libeling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/libeling. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on libeling

Nglish: Translation of libeling for Spanish Speakers

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