1
as in defamation
the making of false statements that damage another's reputation
the actor's lawyers charge that the tabloid engaged in a deliberate campaign of character assassination
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in libel
the use of personal attacks or insults in order to undermine an opponent
refused to resort to character assassination even if it meant losing his bid for governor
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 character assassination
Advertisement Television Lythgoe calls Abdul lawsuit ‘worst form of character assassination’ as another accuser surfaces
March 6, 2024
In January, Lythgoe denied Abdul’s allegations.
—
Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024
Rather than celebrating his years of service and often unrecognized achievements, he was met with a scathing, unprofessional news segment that was more character assassination than responsible journalism.
—Sachin Hansen, The Denver Post, 25 Nov. 2024
As the moon clashes with Mercury, competition can lead to character assassinations!
—USA TODAY, 10 Nov. 2024
At the same time, politicians talked while the top brass stole, and all Ivan was left with was mindless paperwork — and now character assassination.
—Sarah A. Topol, New York Times, 20 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for character assassination
Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024
Rather than celebrating his years of service and often unrecognized achievements, he was met with a scathing, unprofessional news segment that was more character assassination than responsible journalism.
—Sachin Hansen, The Denver Post, 25 Nov. 2024
As the moon clashes with Mercury, competition can lead to character assassinations!
—USA TODAY, 10 Nov. 2024
At the same time, politicians talked while the top brass stole, and all Ivan was left with was mindless paperwork — and now character assassination.
—Sarah A. Topol, New York Times, 20 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for character assassination
Recent Examples of Synonyms for character assassination
Noun
-
Newsmax was motivated to raise money through an IPO partly due to the defamation lawsuits against the channel stemming from the 2020 election.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2025
-
In August 2023, Schaffer sued the organization and Smith, individually, claiming he was owed tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid legal fees and accusing the new board of defamation.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Baldoni has since sued The Times for libel, and the newspaper stood by its coverage.—
Benjamin VanHoose,
People.com,
31 Mar. 2025
-
On New Year’s Eve, Baldoni and nine other plaintiffs, including his crisis publicist Melissa Nathan, sued the New York Times for $250 million for libel over their initial story about Lively’s allegations.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Even before the recent cuts, watchdog officials considered the agency's thin federal workforce, which oversees more than 60,000 contract employees, to be an an Achilles heel that poses significant risk of fraud, waste, and abuse of taxpayer funds.—
Davis Winkie,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Authorities were called April 3 to Richmond Hill Elementary School in Augusta regarding a report of child abuse, the report says.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Out of the privation, the challenge, and the censure of slavery and the unfulfilled promise of post-Reconstruction justice, Black musicians embraced experimentation and innovation, ingenuity and joy, and a multigenerational call and response speaking truth to power that endures to the present day.—
Elizabeth Alexander,
Time,
1 Apr. 2025
-
The commissioners held an executive session Monday, an hour before the district sent an email with the Tuesday censure agenda item.—
Nick Rosenberger,
Idaho Statesman,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Many of the artists now topping the charts have come under fierce criticism because their lyrics often paint cartel leaders as Robin Hood-esque figures.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2025
-
The emotional stories linked with characters portrayed as cold-blooded killers trained by terrorists have left the film amid wide criticism over its intentions.—
Sweta Kaushal,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Character assassination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/character%20assassination. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share