variants
or libelling
as in libel
the making of false statements that damage another's reputation
the underhanded politician resorted to libeling when it became clear that that was the only way he was going to win the election
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
or libelling
as in smearing
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for libeling
Noun
-
That accusation — known as the blood libel — has been passed around for almost a thousand years.—
Mike Rothschild,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026 -
And there was a huge libel action against him that was taken out by a very brave writer called Deborah Lipstadt, who won against him.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The pigment lasts all day without smearing.—
Catharine Malzahn,
Glamour,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Mullin did not apologize for his remarks and instead accused Paul of smearing his character.—
Andrea Castillo,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
King sued the league for defamation and the city of Independence for violating his civil rights.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Lake Court House Foundation permanently banned five individuals, including a local photographer, from entering the property’s bounds due to allegations of trespassing and defamation.—
Anna Ortiz,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Shocking lies Within hours, the administration was slandering her.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
17 Jan. 2026
-
And then the media was slandering our dad’s name and reputation after a lifetime of being a fairly wholesome guy.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
One unusual choice presents a climactic murder only in a photo seen decades later, along with articles defaming the victim.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Among election delusion peddlers, Oltmann has distinguished himself by calling for violence and defaming innocent people.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Angel went for a respectful middle-of-the-road jab — complimenting her parenting and resilience, but maligning her for being petty.—
Shamira Ibrahim,
Vulture,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Defense attorneys have also decried violations of fair-trial rights, saying that the prosecutor in the cases has sought to influence the jury pool by maligning those charged.—
LAUREN CARASIK,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Feb. 2017
Verb
-
The plotting becomes needlessly complicated at times, such as with Jack becoming a local hero after foiling a burglary, and later disgracing himself with a drunken tirade at a Christmas tree lighting ceremony, which leads to him being arrested and put on trial.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
That said, Boutboul cautions against vilifying the whole of the fast food industry in France, asserting that there’s a big difference between American and French fast food.—
Vivian Song,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Even as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is vilifying his texting buddy for killing Ali Khamenei, Iranians in New York (and London, Los Angeles and around the world) are dancing with joy in the streets.—
Betsy McCaughey,
Boston Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Libeling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/libeling. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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