as in allegation
a claim that someone has done something wrong or illegal; a charge that someone has committed a fault or crime
Investigators have leveled accusations of corruption against a group of former officials. The police are investigating serious accusations of wrongdoing.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 accusation
In 2018, a series of Miami Herald stories about the plea deal prompted New York federal prosecutors to take a fresh look at the accusations.
—
Michael R. Sisak, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2026
There is a long tradition—born in the midst of the war itself—of accusation and debate about which side behaved worse.
—Drew Gilpin Faust, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026
Ratner has denied the accusations.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Feb. 2026
Guanipa's brother Tomás rejected the accusation and said that the arrest was meant to crack down on dissent.
—CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for accusation
Michael R. Sisak, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2026
There is a long tradition—born in the midst of the war itself—of accusation and debate about which side behaved worse.
—Drew Gilpin Faust, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026
Ratner has denied the accusations.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Feb. 2026
Guanipa's brother Tomás rejected the accusation and said that the arrest was meant to crack down on dissent.
—CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for accusation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for accusation
Noun
-
The governments didn't release toxicology reports and the Russian government denied the allegation.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
15 Feb. 2026
-
The incident came to light after two DEA whistleblowers accused the agency of failing to address the allegations involving corruption in its Haiti operations.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The immigration crackdown and shootings drew widespread condemnation and calls for federal authorities to leave.—
Nicole Acevedo,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Nobody would have been surprised to hear Bad Bunny use one of the year’s biggest stages to levy direct condemnation of the administration’s dehumanizing bigotry.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Accusation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accusation. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
