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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of character assassination
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
Farber harshly criticizes Cuba’s treatment of blacks, homosexuals, and political dissidents and exposes the Castro regime’s practice of obfuscating policy debates through character assassination.
—Richard Feinberg, Foreign Affairs, 1 Jan. 2012
Being falsely painted as a liar when I was never given the full story or played any part of the song is character assassination.
—EW.com, 6 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for character assassination 
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
Farber harshly criticizes Cuba’s treatment of blacks, homosexuals, and political dissidents and exposes the Castro regime’s practice of obfuscating policy debates through character assassination.
—Richard Feinberg, Foreign Affairs, 1 Jan. 2012
Being falsely painted as a liar when I was never given the full story or played any part of the song is character assassination.
—EW.com, 6 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for character assassination
Recent Examples of Synonyms for character assassination
Noun
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Gallagher has reportedly already thrown one lawsuit at Banksy for defamation in another case.—
George Nelson,
ARTnews.com,
11 Feb. 2025
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The remark was a reference to Drake’s defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group over the track.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
11 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The allegations were cemented in a New York Times article — for which Baldoni has filed a $250 million libel lawsuit against the outlet — as well as Lively’s Dec. 31 lawsuit against her former costar.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
12 Feb. 2025
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The situation escalated quickly, with Baldoni responding by filing a $250 million libel suit against The New York Times and later a $400 million lawsuit against Lively, Reynolds, and her publicist Leslie Sloane for alleged defamation and civil extortion.—
Jenzia Burgos,
StyleCaster,
9 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Change Appearance Series: The New Immigration: How Recent Arrivals at the Border Have Changed the Country and Its Attitudes More in this series ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.—
Mica Rosenberg,
ProPublica,
7 Feb. 2025
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To get the fraud, waste and abuse out of the federal government.—
Kristan Hawkins,
Newsweek,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The first censure also cited comments Quirk made in the media about the plan to move the rail off the Del Mar bluffs that contradicted the city’s official position.—
Luke Harold,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Feb. 2025
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But as part of the censure, the board barred Morris from taking part in deliberations and votes regarding the Hagekhalil investigation.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Finding negative angles about the club seems often to be a sport in itself, particularly among provocative ex-player pundits for whom criticism is currency.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
The Athletic,
14 Feb. 2025
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Stone also raised criticisms about McMahon’s knowledge of the role, including hesitation on what existing Trump executive orders mean for local schools.—
Lisa Hagen,
Hartford Courant,
14 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near character assassination
Cite this Entry
“Character assassination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/character%20assassination. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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