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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Recent Examples of character assassination
As the moon clashes with Mercury, competition can lead to character assassinations!
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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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At a defamation trial in Washington D.C, Giuliani was unable to back up the claim and a jury awarded Freeman and Moss $148 million.Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
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The ex-Trump attorney will have a second hearing over whether he should be held in civil contempt January 10 in Washington, D.C., as part of Freeman’s and Moss’ original defamation case against Giuliani.Alison Durkee, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Defamation trials are rare in the U.S. due to constitutional protections for the press, which make proving libel difficult.Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025
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Lively sued Baldoni for mental pain and anguish, severe emotional distress, and lost wages; Baldoni sued the New York Times for libel, alleging that the publication defamed him with its piece about the alleged PR campaign against Lively.Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 4 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Last February, Richardson filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against local law enforcement alleging a pattern of abuse.ABC NEWS, ABC News, 14 Jan. 2025
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What Was Jason Chen Charged With? Chen is charged with first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse.John Mac Ghlionn, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025
Noun
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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, 12 Dec. 2024
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Still, her presence does give Sorkin the opportunity to leap back and forth between the writing of the address and the aftermath, exploring the president’s struggle to regain his composure after a congressional censure in the process.Matthew Jackson, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2024
Noun
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The criticism is somewhat reminiscent of Texans slamming Sen. Ted Cruz for fleeing to Cancun during a statewide freeze and power loss disaster in 2021.James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Jan. 2025
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Meta is removing employee criticism over its hiring of UFC CEO Dana White from an internal company messaging system.Makena Kelly, WIRED, 9 Jan. 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 20 Jan. 2025.
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