as in smears
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
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Recent Examples of Synonyms for libels
smears
Verb
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The five pieces offer, in turn, biomorphic hints of de Kooning, the ragged shapes of Clyfford Still, the bold geometries of Ellsworth Kelly, the paint smears of Gerhard Richter, and something that looks like toothpaste squeezed onto an orange peel.—
Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
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Teachers Union leader Randi Weingarten smears Trump voters as fascists!—
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“Libels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/libels. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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