as in defamation
the making of false statements that damage another's reputation
this smearing has got to stop, or the voters will conclude that there's absolutely no one worth voting for
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in coating
to rub an oily or sticky substance over
the toddler gleefully smeared her hair and face with maple syrup
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in libelling
to make untrue and harmful statements about
he is willing to smear his opponent if doing so would win the election
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smearing
Noun
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Young is accusing the network of defamation and libel.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
17 Jan. 2025 -
What the lawsuit says: Baldoni, in a federal lawsuit filed Thursday, accuses Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, of defamation and extortion.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA TODAY,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
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His barrister, David Sherborne, who represented Johnny Depp in his libel suit against The Sun, was pictured arriving at the Rolls Building in the past hour.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
21 Jan. 2025
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What To Know Zachary Young, a U.S. Navy veteran, is suing CNN, accusing the network of defamation and libel.—
Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell,
Newsweek,
15 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Wear gloves when touching cleaning products, take a break from painting your nails, and avoid acetone nail polish remover.—
Carrie Madormo, RN,
Health,
24 Dec. 2024
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Homages to the Bethesda games’ slow-motion kills are aplenty, with gratuitous shots of bullets tearing through bodies and painting the walls red.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
24 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Many of the conspiracy theories have prompted FEMA to create a page on its site discrediting rumors and false information about its response to Hurricane Helene.—
Nicole Sganga,
CBS News,
14 Oct. 2024
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Still, the United States didn’t recognize Haiti as a nation until 1862, during the Civil War, when American leadership was looking for any support in discrediting slavery.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes,
10 Oct. 2024
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Thesaurus Entries Near smearing
Cite this Entry
“Smearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smearing. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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