as in defamation
the making of false statements that damage another's reputation
this smearing has got to stop, or the voters will conclude that there's absolutely no one worth voting for
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in coating
to rub an oily or sticky substance over
the toddler gleefully smeared her hair and face with maple syrup
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in libelling
to make untrue and harmful statements about
he is willing to smear his opponent if doing so would win the election
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smearing
PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2025
If the smearing continues, look for a position elsewhere.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 10 Sep. 2025
ArsTechnica, 24 Sep. 2025
Ciarlo has been a beauty aficionado from her early age of sneaking into her mother's makeup drawer and smearing Joker-esque lipstick on her face.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
Black inks for the same printers tend to have less obvious smearing than the color ink, and many smear just enough to see a smudge, without harming readability.
—PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2025
If the smearing continues, look for a position elsewhere.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
After smearing Tylenol, the president's unscripted remarks quickly veered into an incoherent rant linking vaccines to autism as well.
—ArsTechnica, 24 Sep. 2025
Ciarlo has been a beauty aficionado from her early age of sneaking into her mother's makeup drawer and smearing Joker-esque lipstick on her face.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smearing
Noun
-
Evaluating defamation claims where the report contains demonstrably false factual assertions.—
Tim Reynolds,
Fortune,
3 Oct. 2025
-
But this would not cancel the defamation judgments.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In this recipe, country music star Lainey Wilson draws on her Louisiana roots, rolling the regional sausage into balls before coating them in breadcrumbs and frying until crispy on the outside, but still tender inside.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
1 Oct. 2025
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If Paulson's meltdown about Merrick Garland wasn't cringey enough, Peters coating his face in Cheeto dust and rattling off the President's worst one-liners sure was.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Harry has twice sued Associated Newspapers for libel, winning one case and withdrawing the other, while his wife Meghan has also won a privacy lawsuit against the publisher.—
Michael Holden,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
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The country also still lacks a freedom of information act, and libel remains a criminal offense.—
Ashish Valentine,
NPR,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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At the core of the GOP’s shutdown argument is painting a grim picture of any non-citizen receiving any government benefit.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
2 Oct. 2025
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But that is a bit like Leonardo Da Vinci painting the Mona Lisa, then letting his mate Dave colour in one of her eyes, but then Dave claims the entire work for his own and takes all the credit for the rest of time.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But there is a distinction, Kutwala said, between flying flags from one’s own property and daubing paint across the town.—
Olivia Kemp,
CNN Money,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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And slandering council members, who publicly supported Madigan before Khadija Walker was nominated, is disrespectful and insulting.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
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It’s made with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and vitamin E, and it can even be paired with your favorite lip balm or gloss — without staining the applicator — for an extra boost of moisture.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
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As a natural stone, quartzite should be sealed to prevent staining.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
Cite this Entry
“Smearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smearing. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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