discrediting

verb

present participle of discredit
1
as in humiliating
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in denying
to think not to be true or real I discredit the story that the old inn is haunted

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in refuting
to prove to be false the pseudoscience of phrenology has been thoroughly discredited

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 discrediting If the Knicks had that happen to them, everyone would be discrediting them. — David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2026 My fear is that poor implementation and, above all, a failure to take accountability seriously will end up discrediting good ideas. — Rachel Canter, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026 Politically, the regime has rotted from within, discarding, discrediting, or detaining its own kind. — Robin Wright, New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2026 Defense attorney Tom Mesereau was an expert at discrediting witnesses, subjects told the filmmakers, but certain key witnesses, like Janet Arvizo, struggled to connect with the jury on their own. — Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2026 Henry’s wife Yasmin (Marisa Abela) ultimately convinces Hayley to accuse Dycker of assault, discrediting his story about Tender, and weaponizing #MeToo-era politics. — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 5 Mar. 2026 Kiryl Pazniak, 49, who hosted a popular political show on YouTube, has been convicted on the charges of discrediting Belarus and forming an extremist organization, the group said — accusations widely used by authorities to stifle critical voices. — ABC News, 2 July 2026 In April 2024, Hayden agreed to pay a $5,000 civil penalty for violating conflict of interest law by allowing his office to issue an official press statement aimed at discrediting his primary opponent, Arroyo, days before the election. — Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 8 Apr. 2026 Elordi and Giannulli appeared to be going strong over the next two years, with sources discrediting breakup speculation to PEOPLE in January 2024 and as the two vacationed together in Italy the following September. — Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discrediting
  1. humiliating
  2. denying
  3. refuting
  4. embarrassing
  5. disbelieving
  6. disgracing
  7. negating
  8. shaming
Verb
  • Instead of demanding personal fealty or humiliating them to assert personal dominance, Lincoln absorbed their egos and occasional slights, elevating their talents and turning his fiercest political adversaries into his most devoted champions.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 24 June 2026
  • The autocrat delights in humiliating so many people, not least tech billionaires, including Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg, who once opposed him.
    — David Remnick, New Yorker, 23 June 2026
Definition of humiliating
Verb
  • But there’s no denying McIlroy was looking sleek with his Masters jacket, which was accompanied by a white shirt and green tie to match.
    — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026
  • Responsible leadership means proactively preparing the enterprise workforce for this imminent organizational down-sizing and structural workplace transition rather than denying its clear historical inevitability.
    — Barney Krishnan, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of denying
Verb
  • The Whitney Houston estate is refuting Oprah Winfrey recalling that the late singer was high and fell off the stage during an appearance on her talk show.
    — Marc Malkin, Variety, 24 June 2026
  • Two other retired judges later published their own piece refuting Gilliard’s contention.
    — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 14 June 2026
Definition of refuting
Verb
  • Ukraine has carried out major drone strikes on Russia’s two largest cities, embarrassing the Kremlin with images of black plumes of smoke that circulated widely online, despite regulations restricting their publication.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
  • But in this case, the ejection was absolutely unnecessary and, frankly, embarrassing for Lentz.
    — Levi Weaver, New York Times, 30 June 2026
Definition of embarrassing
Verb
  • That same disbelieving fullness.
    — Vin Diesel, Variety, 16 May 2026
  • When Mom reached Dad on the telephone in the White House pantry to commiserate over the earth-shattering news, Dad’s response was disbelieving.
    — John Wrory Ficklin, Time, 11 Feb. 2026
Definition of disbelieving
Verb
  • Why are adults so comfortable publicly disgracing Black teenage girls going to their prom and being cruel toward strangers who are sometimes half their age?
    — Essence, Essence, 11 May 2026
  • The plotting becomes needlessly complicated at times, such as with Jack becoming a local hero after foiling a burglary, and later disgracing himself with a drunken tirade at a Christmas tree lighting ceremony, which leads to him being arrested and put on trial.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 24 Nov. 2025
Definition of disgracing
Verb
  • My favorite Panini story from this World Cup is that of a kid who apparently stuck a one-of-one Julián Álvarez in their book, thereby negating almost all of its value.
    — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 30 June 2026
  • Instead, the space agency is planning a mission to rescue the telescope and extend its mission for several more years – negating the need to spend more money to replace the observatory, NASA said in a press release.
    — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 28 June 2026
Definition of negating
Verb
  • Last year, a judge threw out the accusations of body shaming following a motion from Lizzo’s team that argued that events like the nude show outings were protected free speech as part of the creative process.
    — Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 29 June 2026
  • The loud and insistent residents of Monterey Park showed that shaming and pressuring politicians can work.
    — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
Definition of shaming

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Cite this Entry

“Discrediting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discrediting. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of discrediting for Spanish Speakers

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