1
as in libeled
to make untrue and harmful statements about
of course I want to win the election, but I refuse to defame my opponent in order to do so
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in accused
archaic
to make a claim of wrongdoing against
so the harmless old woman was defamed of witchcraft
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of defamed
On June 1, a seven-person jury reached a verdict, deciding that Depp proved ex-wife Heard defamed him.
—
Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
Similar allegations against Roberts-Smith were found credible in a civil court case in 2023 when a judge rejected his claims that newspaper articles defamed him.
—ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
When witnesses are abused and defamed simply for doing their civic duty, their lives are shattered and our entire justice system is put at risk.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
Grigsby, who was hired by Hedspeth last year and fired in February, amended her lawsuit Tuesday to further allege Merritt defamed her in conversations with aldermen as Merritt lobbied to be named commissioner.
—Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
Baldoni, 42, last year countersued, bringing claims against Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, alleging he’d been defamed and extorted and demanding an enormous $400 million in damages.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2026
Pournouri had alleged that a Netflix documentary two years before the 2018 death of the DJ, whose real name is Tim Bergling, and two posthumously released books defamed him, violating a 2016 agreement that supposedly prevented Bergling from speaking about their partnership.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2026
Seitz said the men had assaulted him, and that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and deputies had violated his civil rights, inflicted emotional stress, defamed him and conspired to keep the matter quiet.
—Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2026
Those who sue for defamation must prove the statements were factually inaccurate and caused harm to the individuals defamed.
—Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 12 Jan. 2026
Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
Similar allegations against Roberts-Smith were found credible in a civil court case in 2023 when a judge rejected his claims that newspaper articles defamed him.
—ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
When witnesses are abused and defamed simply for doing their civic duty, their lives are shattered and our entire justice system is put at risk.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
Grigsby, who was hired by Hedspeth last year and fired in February, amended her lawsuit Tuesday to further allege Merritt defamed her in conversations with aldermen as Merritt lobbied to be named commissioner.
—Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
Baldoni, 42, last year countersued, bringing claims against Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, alleging he’d been defamed and extorted and demanding an enormous $400 million in damages.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2026
Pournouri had alleged that a Netflix documentary two years before the 2018 death of the DJ, whose real name is Tim Bergling, and two posthumously released books defamed him, violating a 2016 agreement that supposedly prevented Bergling from speaking about their partnership.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2026
Seitz said the men had assaulted him, and that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and deputies had violated his civil rights, inflicted emotional stress, defamed him and conspired to keep the matter quiet.
—Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2026
Those who sue for defamation must prove the statements were factually inaccurate and caused harm to the individuals defamed.
—Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 12 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defamed
Verb
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The only constant across different time periods and milieus is that no one has wanted to be accused of it.—
Clare Bucknell,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Israel accused hundreds of UNRWA employees in Gaza of working with terrorist groups and banned the organization from operating in Israel in 2024, effectively blocking its foreign staff and aid from entering the enclave.—
Matt Bradley,
NBC news,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Greenhaven had racked up years of health violations, including from letting untrained workers administer medications, lacking enough employees to care for people with dementia, and neglecting a resident who smeared feces over his body, bed, floor, and bathroom, the notice said.—
Jordan Rau,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2026
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Many told me the liberal media had smeared them as racists, xenophobes and misogynists.—
Nataliya Gumenyuk,
The Dial,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Four others indicted in the case were given sentences of as much as six years in prison, with one woman getting a 10-month sentence, suspended for three years.—
Debby Wu,
Bloomberg,
27 Apr. 2026
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Michael was indicted on 10 criminal counts including child molestation, abduction, false imprisonment and extortion, per NPR, but was acquitted of all charges in June 2005, according to The New York Times.—
Nicole Briese,
PEOPLE,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This Mets team, with the second-highest MLB payroll at $369 million, had just been humiliated by a franchise that lost 119 games a year ago.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
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One such accusation resulted in a federal lawsuit filed in September in which the former head of the Colorado Division for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind alleged DHS management humiliated and discriminated against him before forcing him out of his job.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Now, the ultimate question of whether Walters slandered Miller will return to the district court.—
Dale Denwalt,
Oklahoman,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Jerry Jones slandered my name to Cowboys media and national media for months.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
1 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defamed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defamed. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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