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
Relevance
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
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of libel
Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2025
Haneman also points to limitations of US privacy law, noting that only a few states criminalize defamation and libel of the dead, such as Idaho, Nevada, and Oklahoma.
—PC Magazine, 10 Aug. 2025
Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2025
Wright got so big on social media even Piers Morgan invited her to libel Jay Z and Beyonce on his platform.
—Rob Marriott, VIBE.com, 30 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for libel
Noun
The Golem of Prague, rooted in 16th-century Jewish folklore, tells the story of Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel, a renowned Talmudic scholar and mystic who sought to protect the Jewish community of Prague from antisemitic attacks and blood libel accusations.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2025
Haneman also points to limitations of US privacy law, noting that only a few states criminalize defamation and libel of the dead, such as Idaho, Nevada, and Oklahoma.
—PC Magazine, 10 Aug. 2025
Verb
Please ask your daughter to stop libeling Miss Manners.
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2025
Wright got so big on social media even Piers Morgan invited her to libel Jay Z and Beyonce on his platform.
—Rob Marriott, VIBE.com, 30 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for libel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for libel
Noun
-
Trump has repeatedly denied writing the letter and sued the Wall Street Journal, which was first to report on the letter, for defamation.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Trump has repeatedly denied writing any such letter and is suing the Journal’s parent company, publisher, reporters and owner Rupert Murdoch for $10 billion in a defamation lawsuit filed in the Southern District of Florida.—
Emily Goodin,
Miami Herald,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Rubbing will smear the mud and cause a bigger problem.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Jason’s windshield was smeared, and the late-afternoon sunlight came through hazily.—
Akhil Sharma,
New Yorker,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
And slandering council members, who publicly supported Madigan before Khadija Walker was nominated, is disrespectful and insulting.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Aug. 2025
-
Moreno calls accusations ‘slander’ In a statement provided to The Bee, Moreno denied the accusations and said she was being slandered.—
Nicole Nixon,
Sacbee.com,
9 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Lying at work often shows up as fraud, and some leaders struggle to know where the line is between criminal fraud and stretching the truth a bit, as disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes and former cryptocurrency exchange king Sam Bankman-Fried discovered.—
Lindsay Kohler,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Here, Emmy winner Edebiri’s character accuses Garfield’s assistant professor of assaulting her after a party, and the film tracks his rapid mental dissolution and disgraced academic status with some standout moments.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The Southern Baptist Convention and an independent investigator are not liable for defaming a former SBC president in a historic report on abuse in the nation’s largest Protestant denomination, a federal judge ruled Monday.—
Liam Adams,
The Tennessean,
21 Aug. 2025
-
Those found guilty of criticizing, insulting, defaming or threatening the king, queen, or heir apparent can be jailed for between three and 15 years for each count, with some sentences stretching to 50 years.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
About two hours later, the US Air Force dropped military flares in the sky, with rumors stating this was an attempt to cover up and discredit the UFO incident that occurred earlier in the evening.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Eventually, however, Lowell’s ideas were discredited—Schiaparelli, once an ally, renounced them—and the world moved on.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Libel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/libel. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share