as in defamation
the making of false statements that damage another's reputation
warned that the constant vilification of candidates for public office was undermining the people's faith in the political system
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of vilification
In an interview with Variety published this week, Smollett spoke of his public vilification.
—
Dan Heching, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025
One of Trump’s problems in his second term, though, is that this daily stream of vilification is, by now, a very familiar script.
—Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 17 July 2025
Despite this national vilification, however, Wisconsin voters reelected La Follette in 1922.
—Time, 16 July 2025
The law declares the value of the families that LGBTQ people create at a time when the federal government has marked people who are not straight and cisgender as targets for vilification and exclusion.
—Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for vilification
Dan Heching, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025
One of Trump’s problems in his second term, though, is that this daily stream of vilification is, by now, a very familiar script.
—Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 17 July 2025
Despite this national vilification, however, Wisconsin voters reelected La Follette in 1922.
—Time, 16 July 2025
The law declares the value of the families that LGBTQ people create at a time when the federal government has marked people who are not straight and cisgender as targets for vilification and exclusion.
—Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for vilification
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vilification
Noun
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The election workers won a $148 million defamation verdict against Giuliani.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
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These umbrella policies include coverage for libel, slander, and defamation of character, and legal defense costs.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Earlier in December, Baldoni filed a $250 million libel lawsuit against The New York Times, in Los Angeles County Superior Court, over its explosive story detailing her alleged treatment on set.—
Angela Yang,
NBC news,
3 Nov. 2025
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Steve Coogan has settled a libel claim over 2022’s The Lost King after a university academic sued over his depiction in the film.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The Chinese retailer, known for its range of cheap ultra-fast-fashion clothing and criticisms of its labor and environmental practices, is nestled on the sixth floor of a more than century-old building in Paris, a city famous for high-end fashion and a recent green push.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
7 Nov. 2025
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Part of the reason why there are so few of these conversations about podcasting is a general lack of criticism for narrative audio.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vilification.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vilification. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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