discredit 1 of 2

noun

Definition of discreditnext
as in disgrace
the state of having lost the esteem of others to his everlasting discredit, the coach was found to have placed bets against his own team

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discredit

2 of 2

verb

(ˌ)dis-ˈkre-dət How to pronounce discredit (audio)
1
as in to humiliate
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes attempted to discredit her political opponents by deliberately spreading false rumors

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2
as in to deny
to think not to be true or real I discredit the story that the old inn is haunted

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3
as in to refute
to prove to be false the pseudoscience of phrenology has been thoroughly discredited

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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 discredit
Noun
Phillips also found sufficient evidence to determine that Weaver violated policy by making remarks to the officer and the Heritage Creek police chief that brought discredit upon him as a member of LMPD. — Monroe Trombly, Louisville Courier Journal, 7 Nov. 2025 Messaging must make distinctions, but also avoid getting lost in parenthetic abstractions or potentially easier-to-discredit targets. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2025
Verb
This is the result of a campaign to discredit RCV with misinformation by politicians threatened by it. — Paul Haughey, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2026 The government should audit and discredit the obvious money grabs. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for discredit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discredit
  1. disgrace
  2. humiliate
  3. deny
  4. refute
  5. shame
  6. embarrass
  7. disbelieve
  8. negate
Noun
  • When Spiro Agnew resigned in disgrace over tax evasion, Kennerly was tapped to photograph one of his potential replacements as vice president, Gerald Ford.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Until Graham Platner’s Maine Senate campaign exploded in disgrace, Platner was routinely cast as a son of privilege playing Carhartt dress-up.
    — Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of disgrace
Verb
  • My husband was humiliated, he was degraded, and not able to defend himself.
    — Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Our minds generate sharp retorts or zingers that would eviscerate or humiliate them.
    — Dr. Joel M. Rothaizer, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of humiliate
Verb
  • Anderson, who long had been considered a suspect in Shakur’s killing, denied involvement before his death in an unrelated Compton shooting in 1998 at age 23.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Edwards has denied the allegations, but ended his reelection bid after the House Ethics Committee posted their investigative findings last month.
    — Claudia Grisales, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of deny
Verb
  • Brittany Howard, the band’s lead singer and charismatic frontwoman, has spent much of the past decade refuting that notion.
    — Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 29 Aug. 2026
  • New documents obtained by The Associated Press and The Guardian refute that testimony.
    — Ali Swenson, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of refute
Noun
  • There can be a lot of shame in the discussion if parents are in debt, Kerner said.
    — Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Not just shame but gross unfitness for serving in a role at a state university.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of shame
Verb
  • Or from locking up Mick Cronin through 2030, even though UCLA’s prickly basketball coach embarrasses the university annually and hasn’t reached a Sweet 16 since 2023.
    — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The comprehensive regimen is meant to uncover any prior criminal conduct in an applicant’s past as well as embarrassing personal information that could make an employee vulnerable to blackmail.
    — Eric Tucker, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of embarrass
Verb
  • There are shirts being whirled all around me as disbelieving fans soak in the celebrations with their squad.
    — Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
  • That same disbelieving fullness.
    — Vin Diesel, Variety, 16 May 2026
Definition of disbelieve
Verb
  • Last week in Cincinnati included a few hiccups, but those don’t negate the progress.
    — Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • An early withdrawal penalty can easily negate all of the interest earned on the account to that point.
    — Matt Richardson, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of negate

Browse Nearby Words

discovery
discredit
discreditable
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Cite this Entry

“Discredit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discredit. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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