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
We are saddened by the state of contemporary debate and the vilification of immigrants.
—
Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 15 Nov. 2025
That's despite calls from agency staff for Kennedy to tone down such rhetoric after a gunman—who was influenced by vaccine misinformation and the vilification of the public health agency—sprayed the CDC campus with over 500 rounds and killed a local police officer last month.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 4 Sep. 2025
What often characterizes anything YIMBY in housing is a strange vilification of single-family typology as racist or classist and proposals heavy on tweaking and fussing with local land use and housing codes without addressing the feasibility and financing of housing.
—Roger Valdez, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2025
In an interview with Variety published this week, Smollett spoke of his public vilification.
—Dan Heching, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vilification
Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 15 Nov. 2025
That's despite calls from agency staff for Kennedy to tone down such rhetoric after a gunman—who was influenced by vaccine misinformation and the vilification of the public health agency—sprayed the CDC campus with over 500 rounds and killed a local police officer last month.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 4 Sep. 2025
What often characterizes anything YIMBY in housing is a strange vilification of single-family typology as racist or classist and proposals heavy on tweaking and fussing with local land use and housing codes without addressing the feasibility and financing of housing.
—Roger Valdez, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2025
In an interview with Variety published this week, Smollett spoke of his public vilification.
—Dan Heching, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vilification
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vilification
Noun
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The Bhumjaithai party leader is staunch royalist who is firmly against any amendments to lese majeste, Thailand’s strict royal defamation law.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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The landlord has filed a defamation lawsuit against the tenants.—
CBS Chicago Team,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Second-year associate Babcock won the appeal, a landmark ruling that established qualified First Amendment privilege for reporters in civil libel cases.—
Brad Townsend,
Dallas Morning News,
19 Feb. 2026
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Kennedy's attorneys are claiming defamation both in the form of libel and slander, and are alleging civil conspiracy to make false accusations, along with assault, battery, and more.—
Lauren Linder,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Their comments drew criticism from lawmakers in both parties, and the administration quickly backtracked.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Feb. 2026
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For Schwartz, positive support from other businesses all over the country and across the political spectrum has kept him going through the criticism.—
Elisabeth Buchwald,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vilification.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vilification. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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