as in libel
the making of false statements that damage another's reputation
accused the newspaper columnist of defamation of character
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Recent Examples of defamation
As the second month of 2026 got underway, the Church of God in Christ had a victory in a federal defamation case against a gospel musician.
—
Lucas Finton, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 6 Feb. 2026
Notably, Feldman was a consultant for actor Johnny Depp's legal team in his high-profile defamation suit against Amber Heard.
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Baldoni later filed a separate $400 million countersuit accusing Lively of extortion and defamation, which has since been dismissed by a judge.
—Elizabeth Rosner, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
And so there is literally no justification for a defamation suit with respect to Trevor Noah’s statement.
—Claudia Rosenbaum, Vulture, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defamation
Lucas Finton, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 6 Feb. 2026
Notably, Feldman was a consultant for actor Johnny Depp's legal team in his high-profile defamation suit against Amber Heard.
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Baldoni later filed a separate $400 million countersuit accusing Lively of extortion and defamation, which has since been dismissed by a judge.
—Elizabeth Rosner, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
And so there is literally no justification for a defamation suit with respect to Trevor Noah’s statement.
—Claudia Rosenbaum, Vulture, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defamation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defamation
libel
Noun
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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
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Following her termination, Wise filed a lawsuit against the county alleging libel, wrongful termination and tortious interference, according to court documents.—
Kyle Werner,
Des Moines Register,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defamation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defamation. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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