as in criticized
formal
to criticize (a person's character, intentions, etc.) by suggesting that someone is not honest and should not be trusted
He impugned his rival's character. Her motives have been scrutinized and impugned.
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Recent Examples of impugned
But the Pentagon’s representatives seemed to feel impugned.
—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
So the markets are the ultimate arbiter of over whether the Fed’s independence is being impugned.
—
NBC news,
18 Jan. 2026
The school board argued that Pickering’s statements were false and that the reputation of the district and its employees had been impugned.
—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
22 Sep. 2025
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
So the markets are the ultimate arbiter of over whether the Fed’s independence is being impugned.
—
NBC news,
18 Jan. 2026
The school board argued that Pickering’s statements were false and that the reputation of the district and its employees had been impugned.
—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impugned
Verb
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The program posed a massive political problem for Mamdani, who’s been criticized by both his allies and opponents for his stance.
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While state studies have criticized the state’s education governance model, voters have rejected at least four attempts dating back to 1928 to reform the position.
Verb
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In Guadalajara, South Korea’s opening day win against Czech Republic was headlined by empty seats, which FIFA blamed on several fans watching the game from the stadium concourses.
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Officials directly blamed the unrest on severe staffing shortages.
Verb
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Several temple administrators have denounced robotic elephants for rituals and festivals.
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Activists and faith leaders denounced the conditions at the office during a press conference the previous day, calling on officials to visit the facility and said there had been bad conditions at the facility for weeks.
Verb
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Researchers sometimes refer to these influences as permission structures, or social cues that signal whether certain behaviors are likely to be rewarded, ignored or condemned.
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The author — who first came under fire in 2020 for making remarks widely condemned as transphobic — has denied being transphobic, defending her views as pro-feminist.
Verb
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Caning is also used for individuals accused of gambling, drinking, adultery and premarital intimacy.
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All three have been previously accused of using tow trucks to commit further crimes.
Verb
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It was appealed by Lifton and the PCFB and Blakeman’s ability to cure was frozen due to the appeal.
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Louisiana appealed to our court and sought a stay pending appeal.
Cite this Entry
“Impugned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impugned. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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