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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smearing
Noun
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The case found Greenpeace liable for defamation and trespassing.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
20 Mar. 2025 -
The Tate brothers also have an ongoing defamation lawsuit in the Palm Beach Circuit Court.—
Lynsey Eidell,
People.com,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
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On New Year’s Eve, Baldoni and nine other plaintiffs, including crisis publicist Melissa Nathan and Abel sued the New York Times for $250 million for libel.—
Tatiana Siegel,
Variety,
21 Mar. 2025
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Lively also advances procedural arguments to dismiss the defamation claims, including that Baldoni brought his lawsuit past the one year window to sue for libel.—
Winston Cho,
The Hollywood Reporter,
20 Mar. 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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Cite this Entry
“Smearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smearing. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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