as in villainously
in a mean or spiteful manner
maliciously tried to ruin her reputation
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Recent Examples of maliciously
Our policy is—and has long been—that team members are only responsible for paying for personal protective equipment if the equipment is lost or maliciously damaged.
—
Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
Ultimately, the risk is not that AI agents will behave maliciously.
—Dan Mountstephen, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026
The league maliciously refuses to act like a nice, friendly bank and give us overdraft privileges.
—Inga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2026
Those labs have put guardrails in place to prevent their models from creating software that can be used maliciously.
—Huo Jingnan, NPR, 11 Apr. 2026
This may have been maliciously organized by the Department of Homeland Security to drive home a point.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2026
The legislation from Attorney General Brenna Bird also raises the penalties for threatening judges or their families and maliciously sharing their personal information.
—Stephen Gruber-Miller, Des Moines Register, 25 Feb. 2026
That language is weaponized so maliciously throughout Aïnouz’s second English-language feature speaks to his intent to unnerve the audience relentlessly.
—David Opie, IndieWire, 15 Feb. 2026
Patel’s complaint alleges he was maliciously prosecuted and deprived of due process.
—Shaddi Abusaid, AJC.com, 9 Feb. 2026
Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
Ultimately, the risk is not that AI agents will behave maliciously.
—Dan Mountstephen, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026
The league maliciously refuses to act like a nice, friendly bank and give us overdraft privileges.
—Inga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2026
Those labs have put guardrails in place to prevent their models from creating software that can be used maliciously.
—Huo Jingnan, NPR, 11 Apr. 2026
This may have been maliciously organized by the Department of Homeland Security to drive home a point.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2026
The legislation from Attorney General Brenna Bird also raises the penalties for threatening judges or their families and maliciously sharing their personal information.
—Stephen Gruber-Miller, Des Moines Register, 25 Feb. 2026
That language is weaponized so maliciously throughout Aïnouz’s second English-language feature speaks to his intent to unnerve the audience relentlessly.
—David Opie, IndieWire, 15 Feb. 2026
Patel’s complaint alleges he was maliciously prosecuted and deprived of due process.
—Shaddi Abusaid, AJC.com, 9 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maliciously
Adverb
-
In other words, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you.—
Derek Robertson,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Aug. 2025
Adverb
-
But instead of following the legal process, the city discharged the arrestees right into the waiting arms of a vigilante gang, who drove the Wobblies to the county line and viciously beat them with axe handles.—
Amelia Soth,
JSTOR Daily,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The dictator’s successor, Ion Iliescu, viciously crushed pro-democracy demonstrations.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Mary leaves four children, ages 10 to 17 — and relatives feuding so bitterly that the two families had to go to court to decide where Mary would be laid to rest and two separate memorial services were held.—
Jill Smolowe,
PEOPLE,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The strike was fought bitterly on both sides.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Images of Labubus beamed malevolently from their packaging, as if gloating in their unreachability.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
20 Aug. 2025
Adverb
-
The resistance to public disclosure has been wickedly unrelenting, overcome only by an act of Congress last year.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
7 Mar. 2026
-
And so wickedly smart to call it.—
Safiyah Riddle,
Fortune,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Maliciously.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maliciously. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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