as in criticizing
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 impugning
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
U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impugning
Verb
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The changing telework fight Last year, unions regularly held large rallies opposing the return-to-office order; an anonymous group of state workers erected billboards along Interstate 80 criticizing the governor.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
23 Apr. 2026
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While the organization hasn’t publicly said so, some have questioned whether the support is partly in retaliation against Cassidy for criticizing Kennedy’s vaccine policy agenda.—
Ali Swenson,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But Emirati officials had threatened for years to leave, blaming Opec’s production quotas for unfairly curtailing its oil exports.—
Harriet Marsden,
TheWeek,
30 Apr. 2026
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In 2013, Hall tried (and failed) to replicate the previous magic and his show was cancelled after one season, many blaming tougher competition than before.—
Rick Kogan,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Both Mexico City and Guadalajara are preparing to host World Cup games in June, with protesters in both cities denouncing the government's failure to properly investigate the disappearances.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
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The pope has been outspoken against the Middle East conflict, urging peace and denouncing attacks on civilians.—
Ryan Mancini,
The Hill,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Musk is accusing ChatGPT’s parent company, OpenAI, and its leaders — CEO Sam Altman and president Greg Brockman — of misleading him and abandoning the company’s original nonprofit mission.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
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Citizens for Positive Growth & Preservation since 2015 has filed three lawsuits against the city accusing Sacramento officials of violating CEQA.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Similar political commentary reached the stage at last year’s Glastonbury Festival, where Kneecap and English punk duo Bob Vylan came under fire for leading the audience in chants supporting Palestinians and condemning Israel.—
Angela Yang,
NBC news,
19 Apr. 2026
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The spike in deaths has rattled the international community, with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum condemning the situation and demanding a thorough inspection of conditions at ICE facilities.—
Armando Garcia,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impugning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impugning. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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