as in defamation
the making of false statements that damage another's reputation
the governor's office issued a statement accusing the state's largest newspaper of libel
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to smear
to make untrue and harmful statements about
the court decided that the newspaper's reportage of the former mayor, while irresponsible, did not constitute an effort to libel him
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 libel
Emily Blackwood, People.com, 23 Aug. 2025
Noel Clarke has lost his libel case against The Guardian.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 22 Aug. 2025
Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2025
Wright got so big on social media even Piers Morgan invited her to libel Jay Z and Beyonce on his platform.
—Rob Marriott, VIBE.com, 30 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for libel
Noun
Harper denied the allegations, and Huizenga filed a libel lawsuit against the former contestant.
—Emily Blackwood, People.com, 23 Aug. 2025
Noel Clarke has lost his libel case against The Guardian.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 22 Aug. 2025
Verb
Please ask your daughter to stop libeling Miss Manners.
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2025
Wright got so big on social media even Piers Morgan invited her to libel Jay Z and Beyonce on his platform.
—Rob Marriott, VIBE.com, 30 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for libel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for libel
Noun
-
Trump has also brought a $10 billion defamation suit against The Wall Street Journal for its article linking him to the Epstein note.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The defamation case has been delayed while the time for an appeal of the underlying claims runs its course.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Ciarlo has been a beauty aficionado from her early age of sneaking into her mother's makeup drawer and smearing Joker-esque lipstick on her face.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Laptop screens get spattered, smeared, dusty, and dirty from frequent use.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The president filed a lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal, its parent company, owner and two reporters claiming libel and slander and seeking $10 billion in damages.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
8 Sep. 2025
-
And slandering council members, who publicly supported Madigan before Khadija Walker was nominated, is disrespectful and insulting.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Lying at work often shows up as fraud, and some leaders struggle to know where the line is between criminal fraud and stretching the truth a bit, as disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes and former cryptocurrency exchange king Sam Bankman-Fried discovered.—
Lindsay Kohler,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Here, Emmy winner Edebiri’s character accuses Garfield’s assistant professor of assaulting her after a party, and the film tracks his rapid mental dissolution and disgraced academic status with some standout moments.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
In 2022, the Duchess of Sussex’s estranged half-sister, Samantha Markle, sued her for allegedly defaming her in multiple interviews, including a 2021 tell-all with Oprah Winfrey.—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The president was also found liable for defaming Carroll over her allegations.—
Dan Gooding
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Holmes likewise discredited the MS-13 accusation, for which prosecutors relied on the testimony of coöperating witnesses who either contradicted one another or were otherwise unreliable.—
Cristian Farias,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
-
The Cordell report has since been discredited — missing transcripts, factual errors and even confusion of key witnesses.—
Matthew J. Frauenfeld,
Mercury News,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Libel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/libel. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share