as in villainously
in a mean or spiteful manner
maliciously tried to ruin her reputation
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Recent Examples of maliciously
The other claimed former special counsel Jack Smith prosecuted him maliciously and that his privacy rights were violated when the FBI searched his Mar-a-Lago estate for classified documents in August 2022.
—
Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
The second claim, which was previously reported publicly last year, related to accusations that he was prosecuted maliciously by then-special counsel Jack Smith and that his privacy rights were violated when the FBI searched his Mar-a-Lago estate for classified documents in August of 2022.
—Alexander Mallin, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2025
On Thursday, the president’s lawyers refiled a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against the New York Times, alleging its reporters have knowingly and maliciously maligned his achievements.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
Hernandez Santana was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of firing a 9 mm handgun within a school zone, possessing a firearm within a school zone and willfully or maliciously interfering with or causing interference to any radio communications of any station in the September shooting.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2025
Last week, Jonathan Rinderknecht was charged with maliciously starting what became the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles.
—PC Magazine, 13 Oct. 2025
Google and other firms that have delved deeply into generative AI employ a number of techniques to prevent AI from acting maliciously.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2025
Jennifer Parker sued the Nashville Fire Department and investigator Mark Sells in August 2023 claiming she was maliciously prosecuted.
—Evan Mealins, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
The second claim, which was previously reported publicly last year, related to accusations that he was prosecuted maliciously by then-special counsel Jack Smith and that his privacy rights were violated when the FBI searched his Mar-a-Lago estate for classified documents in August of 2022.
—Alexander Mallin, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2025
On Thursday, the president’s lawyers refiled a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against the New York Times, alleging its reporters have knowingly and maliciously maligned his achievements.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
Hernandez Santana was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of firing a 9 mm handgun within a school zone, possessing a firearm within a school zone and willfully or maliciously interfering with or causing interference to any radio communications of any station in the September shooting.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2025
Last week, Jonathan Rinderknecht was charged with maliciously starting what became the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles.
—PC Magazine, 13 Oct. 2025
Google and other firms that have delved deeply into generative AI employ a number of techniques to prevent AI from acting maliciously.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2025
Jennifer Parker sued the Nashville Fire Department and investigator Mark Sells in August 2023 claiming she was maliciously prosecuted.
—Evan Mealins, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maliciously
Adverb
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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
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Maduro has viciously attacked political opponents and presided over the country’s economic collapse.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
21 Oct. 2025
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Krasznahorkai was born in Hungary in 1954, two years before the Soviets viciously crushed an uprising in Budapest, and his first two novels are soaked through with an atmosphere of political terror.—
Walt Hunter,
The Atlantic,
9 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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The federal government shutdown enters its 21st day – headed toward its fourth week – as Democrats and Republicans remain bitterly divided over how to resolve rising health care costs.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
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Taylor makes a persuasive case for how artists can grow, if incrementally and maybe bitterly, amid so much numbing digital noise.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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Images of Labubus beamed malevolently from their packaging, as if gloating in their unreachability.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
20 Aug. 2025
Adverb
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Midler and Hawn co-starred alongside Keaton in 1996’s The First Wives Club, with the stars portraying divorcées who wonderfully, wickedly take revenge on their terrible former spouses.—
Althea Legaspi,
Rolling Stone,
11 Oct. 2025
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Finally, the board will have the good sense to just snap their host laptop shut, but not before a wickedly riotous 10 minutes or so in which absolutely no one backs away from the keyboard.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Maliciously.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maliciously. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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