as in disgrace
the state of having lost the esteem of others
to his everlasting discredit, the coach was found to have placed bets against his own team
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to humiliate
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
attempted to discredit her political opponents by deliberately spreading false rumors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to deny
to think not to be true or real
I discredit the story that the old inn is haunted
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to refute
to prove to be false
the pseudoscience of phrenology has been thoroughly discredited
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 discredit
Jason Ma, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2025
Extreme unfairness erodes trust, discredits markets, and invites rebellion.
—Dan Perry, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025
Aamer Madhani and Susie Blann The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 30 Jan. 2026
The ongoing attacks discredit the peace talks, Zelensky said.
—Aamer Madhani, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for discredit
Noun
Messaging must make distinctions, but also avoid getting lost in parenthetic abstractions or potentially easier-to-discredit targets.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2025
Extreme unfairness erodes trust, discredits markets, and invites rebellion.
—Dan Perry, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025
Verb
The ongoing attacks discredit the peace talks, Zelenskyy said.
—Aamer Madhani and Susie Blann The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 30 Jan. 2026
The ongoing attacks discredit the peace talks, Zelensky said.
—Aamer Madhani, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for discredit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discredit
Noun
-
What a disgrace not to plan better.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Despite some high-profile falls into disgrace, India’s spiritual leaders are widely revered.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The gesture provoked a seismic reaction internationally while infuriating Olympic officials who claimed Smith and Carlos used the world stage to humiliate their home country.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Still, Friday ranked as one of the most unexpected breakdowns in international sports since Germany humiliated host Brazil, 7-1, at the 2014 soccer World Cup.—
Bora Erden,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Aljorna and Sosa-Celis denied assaulting the officer.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Decades later, Faraci cooperated with Modrowski’s lawyer during the post-conviction proceedings and submitted two affidavits in 2019 and 2011 denying Modrowski was involved, court records show.—
Christy Gutowski,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But the company is refuting the claims.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
-
But Kennedy was equally as defiant and doubled down on his stance, strongly refuting the allegations directed towards him.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
What’s stranger than this request even is how it’s demanded without shame (or how Anna uses this to score points in her bid to win Jack over for herself).—
David Opie,
IndieWire,
15 Feb. 2026
-
The woman's eyes were filled with shame.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
One day, Will goes viral after embarrassing ROAR league MVP, Mane Attraction (Aaron Pierre), during a streetball challenge, prompting his favorite team, the Vineland Thorns, to sign him to a season-ending contract in a desperate attempt to juice ticket sales.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The case has deeply embarrassed the royal family, especially his mother, who suffers from an incurable lung illness and who is torn between her role as mother and future queen.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
When Mom reached Dad on the telephone in the White House pantry to commiserate over the earth-shattering news, Dad’s response was disbelieving.—
John Wrory Ficklin,
Time,
11 Feb. 2026
-
When people can see evidence that obviously contradicts what the administration is saying, they’re primed to disbelieve the officials.—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Hang It Up Putting clothing and linens on hangers right out of the dryer keeps them free of wrinkles and negates the need for folding.—
Jodi Gonzalez,
The Spruce,
9 Feb. 2026
-
But a block in the back penalty on Dell Pettus negated the return, and New England starts at its own 27 desperately needing a spark.—
February 9,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Discredit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discredit. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
