IMPUGNING Synonyms: 53 Similar and Opposite Words

impugning

verb

present participle of impugn

as in criticizing

formal to criticize (a person's character, intentions, etc.) by suggesting that someone is not honest and should not be trusted He impugned his rival's character. Her motives have been scrutinized and impugned.

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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 impugning Ehlers’ duty as a public official includes upholding and respecting the legal process, not impugning it. — U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for impugning

Verb

Republican lawmaker Carl DeMaio of San Diego has vocalized his opposition in discussions of the bill, criticizing the idea of providing funding to outlets that make political endorsements.

— Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Yiannopoulos rose to prominence through his provocative statements criticizing political correctness, feminism and Islam.

— Chris Arnold, NPR, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of criticizing

Verb

Safal Prakash Shrestha/NurPhoto/Getty Protesters shouted slogans denouncing the police and government over alleged delays in taking action to find the missing girl, and then to find the perpetrators.

— Arshad R. Zargar, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
Many actors have opened up about their experiences with Botox, with some denouncing the injectable.

— Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of denouncing

Verb

Silbert is facing several multibillion-dollar lawsuits accusing him of defrauding investors.

— Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
Some allege that the government has engineered fuel shortages to make an agreement unavoidable, others go further, accusing moderates of staging a coup.

— Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of accusing

Verb

Public monuments condemning slavery have been removed, and Confederate names have been restored to Army bases.

— Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
But the dispute quickly escalated into a reputational crisis for the biennale, with artists from Taiwan and China condemning the name change as a betrayal of its founding ideals.

— Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of condemning

Browse Nearby Words

impugned

impugning

impugns

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Style

“Impugning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impugning. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of impugning

verb

Example Sentences

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