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
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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
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Recent Examples of libel
Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 10 May 2025
Early criticism of the Wayfarer-Lively case compared the proceedings to the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard libel suit in 2022.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2025
Dan Greene, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
As a new, inexpensive Chevrolet appeared in 1927 and The Dearborn Independent was sued for libeling a number of Jewish businessmen, Ford threw in the towel and apologized.
—George Pendle, airmail.news, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for libel
Noun
Baldoni then filed a $250 million libel lawsuit against The New York Times for its bombshell exposé into Lively’s claims.
—Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 10 May 2025
Early criticism of the Wayfarer-Lively case compared the proceedings to the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard libel suit in 2022.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2025
Verb
Luckily for anyone still Christmas shopping, however, the court has continued pressing Giuliani for his assets, which are expected to be sold at auction to pay for a portion of the damages owed to the plaintiffs, whom Giuliani libelled with false claims of election malfeasance.
—Dan Greene, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
As a new, inexpensive Chevrolet appeared in 1927 and The Dearborn Independent was sued for libeling a number of Jewish businessmen, Ford threw in the towel and apologized.
—George Pendle, airmail.news, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for libel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for libel
Noun
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In a $500 million defamation and elder abuse action of their own, Smokey Robinson and his wife are now going after the four former employees who have accused the Motown legend of rape in a $50 million lawsuit.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
28 May 2025
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Baldoni responded with a $400 million defamation countersuit that named not only Lively but also her husband, Ryan Reynolds, their publicist and later Taylor Swift.—
Gemma Allen,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
Verb
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Also, faint objects appear even fainter because their light is smeared out.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
15 May 2025
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Smartmatic wants an even bigger payday than Dominion Voting Systems, which was similarly smeared by Fox News and settled a defamation lawsuit with the network in 2023 for a whopping $787 million.—
Marshall Cohen,
CNN Money,
14 May 2025
Verb
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Reed went on to report a series of grievances against the Griffin teachers union and said she’s been slandered and disrespected by the community.—
Carole Carlson,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2025
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Unnamed Pentagon officials have slandered our character with baseless attacks on our way out the door.—
Mohammed Soliman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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As the smiling Red Bull players mingled on the pitch after the win, the Galaxy’s players looked genuinely disgraced amid Vanney’s sharp stares.—
Felipe Cardenas,
New York Times,
11 May 2025
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He’s repeatedly disgraced the city and his constituents.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
10 May 2025
Verb
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Still, lawyers for Dr. Chambers, who have denied the accusations, called the prosecutors’ decision a hopeful sign in the case, a rare detention of a foreigner in Thailand under a law that forbids defaming, insulting or threatening members of the royal family.—
Isabella Kwai,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
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In 2022, when part of Cori’s lawsuit went to trial, a jury found Martin liable for defaming her and casting her in a false light — including by sharing a Facebook post suggesting that she should be charged with manslaughter for her mother’s death.—
Jeremy Kohler,
ProPublica,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The former Minnesota Democratic congressman was widely shunned for running against Biden and discredited for his accusations that Biden wasn’t capable of being president again.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
22 May 2025
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Injuries contributed to the Pacers’ series wins over the Milwaukee Bucks and the Cleveland Cavaliers, but claiming the Pacers only advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for a second straight postseason because of lucky breaks discredits their greatness.—
Jovan Buha,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Libel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/libel. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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