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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The remark was a reference to Drake’s defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group over the track.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
11 Feb. 2025
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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
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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Swift would not disclose details of the abuse, saying the investigation is in its early stages.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2025
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The gesture is also a stark reminder of the lasting impact of abuse on players.—
Caoimhe O'Neill,
The Athletic,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Brown’s refusal to show New Zealand officials the text of the China deal ahead of his trip prompted censure from Wellington this month.—
Charlotte Graham-McLay,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2025
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Those who stick around and suffer a formal censure from their governing academic body usually — but not automatically — face removal from office by a higher power (typically the university’s board of trustees, or the state’s governor).—
Shaun Richman,
New York Daily News,
18 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Among those who lost their jobs were members of the civic integrity group, which was known to be outspoken in its criticism of Zuckerberg’s leadership.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
14 Feb. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Character assassination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/character%20assassination. Accessed 26 Feb. 2025.
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