slandering 1 of 2

adjective

as in insulting

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slandering

2 of 2

verb

present participle of slander
as in libeling
to make untrue and harmful statements about for some reason, that newspaper seems determined to slander one particular celebrity

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of slandering
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 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 And slandering council members, who publicly supported Madigan before Khadija Walker was nominated, is disrespectful and insulting. — Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slandering
  1. insulting
  2. smearing
  3. slanderous
  4. defaming
  5. defamatory
  6. maligning
  7. disparaging
  8. discrediting
Adjective
  • At the end of the last cruise, everyone shunned me, except for Roy, who instead was cruel and insulting to me.
    — Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 6 Aug. 2026
  • This struck Stevens and her allies as immature, insulting, and more than a little sexist.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of insulting
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
Adjective
  • Societies throughout history have punished language deemed blasphemous, seditious, inciting or slanderous.
    — Paul Quigley, The Conversation, 13 July 2026
  • The group’s ads on his past felony bank fraud charges were decried by Ford as slanderous.
    — Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
Definition of slanderous
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
Adjective
  • Williams, who had filed counterclaims against Baumgarten for allegedly making false and defamatory statements about her and tarnishing her reputation, also voluntarily dismissed her suit at the same time.
    — Catherine Muccigrosso July 24, Charlotte Observer, 24 July 2026
  • Charlotte MacInnes has appealed her defeat in a defamation case against Rebel Wilson, challenging the findings that Wilson’s Instagram posts were not defamatory and did not cause serious harm to her reputation.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 24 July 2026
Definition of defamatory
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
Adjective
  • Felix points to Trump’s disparaging and false comments against Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, which put a target on the back of many Haitian immigrants.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
  • The irony is that Trump has been more disparaging and dismissive of the military than any other president.
    — Joe Garofoli, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Mar. 2026
Definition of disparaging
Verb
  • Kiryl Pazniak, 49, who hosted a popular political show on YouTube, has been convicted on the charges of discrediting Belarus and forming an extremist organization, the group said — accusations widely used by authorities to stifle critical voices.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
  • Defense attorney Tom Mesereau was an expert at discrediting witnesses, subjects told the filmmakers, but certain key witnesses, like Janet Arvizo, struggled to connect with the jury on their own.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2026
Definition of discrediting

Browse Nearby Words

slanderers
slandering
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Cite this Entry

“Slandering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slandering. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on slandering

Nglish: Translation of slandering for Spanish Speakers

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