as in to criticize
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 impugn
So the markets are the ultimate arbiter of over whether the Fed’s independence is being impugned.
—
NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026
Paltrow gives a curiously pulseless performance that might have impugned some of her blossoming star power had Hush opened when it was supposed to.
—Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 25 Dec. 2025
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
Ehlers’ duty as a public official includes upholding and respecting the legal process, not impugning it.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impugn
NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026
Paltrow gives a curiously pulseless performance that might have impugned some of her blossoming star power had Hush opened when it was supposed to.
—Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 25 Dec. 2025
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
Ehlers’ duty as a public official includes upholding and respecting the legal process, not impugning it.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impugn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impugn
Verb
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Again, Gulutzan was reluctant to criticize his team too harshly given how close the series has been.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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He was criticized for not spending enough time in the city and for his acceptance of unreported concert and sports tickets.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had blamed Washington for the failure of talks on brokering a deal to end the fighting, with a ceasefire between the sides still holding.—
April 27,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
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Some, like Steyer, argue the state has been held hostage by corporate interests and utility monopolies, while others, like Mahan and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, argue unions, trial lawyers and state regulations are to blame for high costs.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, had denounced the probe, which was announced in January, calling it a politically motivated step by the White House and a threat to the independence of the central bank.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2026
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The project denounces Haiti’s justice system through the story of a woman imprisoned for years without trial and later judged not by law, but by scripture.—
Lise Pedersen,
Variety,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Legal experts condemn the charges against James Comey.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
29 Apr. 2026
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With the world facing profound suffering and division, moral voices calling for peace, restraint and sanctity of human life deserve to be protected and amplified, not condemned.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Nick Reiner, the man accused of murdering his parents, beloved director Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, briefly appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom Wednesday as his case inched closer to trial.—
Madeline Morrison,
NBC news,
29 Apr. 2026
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Since taking office, the mayor has mostly quieted his calls for a rent freeze, as many in the real estate industry have accused him of improperly seeking to influence the independent panel.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impugn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impugn. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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