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
Its inclusion in the documentary has provided ammunition for Musk supporters and his lawyers to discredit the film, pointing to an unfounded conspiracy theory about SpaceX’s Starlink satellites interfering in the election. — ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026 Milli Vanilli won a Grammy, got all this attention and then got discredited and didn’t replace Barbra Streisand or Bruce Springsteen or Taylor Swift or the Eurythmics or The Rolling Stones. — Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 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
  • These rosy reveries gradually darken as Wilde remembers succumbing to hedonism, deceit, debt, and disgrace.
    — Hannah Aizenman, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
  • But Scott was mercifully lifted for Evan Phillips, who recorded the final out of the game to save the Dodgers from disgrace.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of disgrace
Verb
  • However, Rob Shuter is reporting that Meghan believes Kate purposefully humiliated her by recently taking Princess Charlotte on the London Underground.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 15 Oct. 2026
  • His daughter is humiliated, and the message could not be clearer.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of humiliate
Verb
  • This month, it was denied access to the plane for a trip to Georgia and Florida.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
  • In response, Amy Helm accused Parillo of financial exploitation and elder abuse of Sandra Helm in a June court filing; Parillo denied those charges.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of deny
Verb
  • The app then connects them with a doctor who will confirm or refute AI’s initial findings within three minutes.
    — Alana Semuels, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Others describe the studies necessary to replicate, refute or refine these advances and ensure the necessary scientific rigor to successfully discover and develop new drugs.
    — Fred D. Ledley, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of refute
Noun
  • The French gêne par procuration delegates discomfort, while the German Fremdschämen means foreign shame.
    — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • While the imposing box set itself is a portable 12-pound film school and an instant status symbol on your shelf, there’s no shame in clicking over for a preview.
    — Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of shame
Verb
  • Chicago embarrassed Philadelphia, while the Eagles squandered a late lead against the Rams before suffering an improbable loss to the Jaguars in London.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The Longhorns’ offense scored 17 points against a Florida defense that Missouri and South Carolina embarrassed.
    — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of embarrass
Verb
  • There were rumors buzzing through the room, and no way to disbelieve any of them.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of disbelieve
Verb
  • The extra baggage negates the weightlessness, revealing a more flawed and earthbound iteration of the band.
    — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Virginia did a good job controlling SMU for long stretches, but a few big plays negated all that.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 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 21 Oct. 2026.

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