name-calling

noun

name-call·ing ˈnām-ˌkȯ-liŋ

: the use of offensive names especially to win an argument or to induce rejection or condemnation (as of a person or project) without objective consideration of the facts

Examples of name-calling in a Sentence

the campaign quickly degenerated into name-calling rather than an intelligent discussion of the issues

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Policy proposals aside, there's been name-calling, vulgarity, and plain old meanness. —

Jon Lapook, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2024 Maximizers who call Trump a fascist are dismissed by the minimizers as either engaging in name-calling or forcing a facile parallel. —

Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024 What has happened to Black players has been a litany of name-calling and threats, to the point that some teams have had to increase security. —

Susan M. Shaw, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024 Through competitive games, the boys descended into hostility, engaging in name-calling, group segregation, and even singing derogatory songs. —

Nicole Lipkin, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for name-calling