discredit
Cast doubt upon
To discredit something is to damage its credibility or reputation: The leaked emails discredited the entire investigation.
You can discredit a person, theory, or institution by exposing flaws or casting doubt.
As a noun, discredit is the state of diminished trust or respect: The scandal brought discredit on the department.
To someone's discredit means reflecting poorly on them.
Loss of honor
- dishonorLoss of respect
- disreputeDamaged public standing
- infamyExtreme public disgrace
- shamePainful awareness of failure
humiliation · stigma · scandal · defamation · slander · libel · smear · tarnish
Expose as false
- disproveProve something untrue
- refuteProve something untrue
- rebutDisprove by argument
- invalidateMake null or void
contradict · negate · expose · challenge · undermine · falsify · puncture · bust
Deliberate disruption of operations
- subvertSecretly weaken authority
- weakenReduce in strength
- destabilizeMake unsteady or insecure
- erodeDiminish through persistent friction
undercut · impugn · compromise · delegitimize · diminish · damage · harm · injure
Disposition toward doubt
- suspicionSense of unease about motives
- mistrustLack of faith
- distrustAbsence of confidence
- doubtLack of firm belief
cynicism · disbelief · questioning · wariness · misgivings · uncertainty · unreliable · untrustworthy
Disgraceful public affair
- corruptionDishonest abuse of power
- whistleblowerInsider who reports misconduct
- cover-upHiding wrongdoing from public
- investigationFormal examination of facts
allegation · revelation · exposé · leak · evidence · proof · testimony · documentation
disgrace
Loss of honor
shame · humiliation · stigma · scandal · defamation · slander · libel · smear · tarnish · besmirch
debunk
Expose as false
invalidate · contradict · negate · expose · challenge · undermine · falsify · puncture · bust · fact-check
sabotage
Deliberate disruption of operations
- subvertSecretly weaken authority
- weakenReduce in strength
- destabilizeMake unsteady or insecure
erode · undercut · impugn · compromise · delegitimize · diminish · damage · harm · injure · attack
skepticism
Disposition toward doubt
doubt · cynicism · disbelief · questioning · wariness · misgivings · uncertainty · unreliable · untrustworthy · dubious
scandal
Disgraceful public affair
- corruptionDishonest abuse of power
- whistleblowerInsider who reports misconduct
- cover-upHiding wrongdoing from public
investigation · allegation · revelation · exposé · leak · evidence · proof · testimony · documentation · unmasking
- DIS- wordsdisagree, disallow, disbelieve, disapprove, disarray
- disgracedishonor, disgrace, downfall, stigma, scandal
- disparagementdefame, denigrate, disparage, malign, slander
- humiliationashamed, abasement, embarrassed, chagrin, mortified
- reputationreputation, reputable, bad reputation, repute, disreputable
- smear tacticssmear, smear campaign, mudslinging, attack ads, hit piece