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
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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
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.
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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
The mud-slinging and character assassinations started after Trump decided to enter the political arena.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2024
The weird character assassination of Sharon Carter?
—Nola Pfau, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for 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
The mud-slinging and character assassinations started after Trump decided to enter the political arena.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2024
The weird character assassination of Sharon Carter?
—Nola Pfau, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for character assassination
Recent Examples of Synonyms for character assassination
Noun
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Seth Stern, director of advocacy for the Freedom of the Press Foundation, said Trump and his political allies have used consumer protection laws as a workaround when defamation lawsuits aren't as feasible.Elahe Izadi, arkansasonline.com, 18 Dec. 2024
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The contract re-upping comes after ABC News recently settled a defamation lawsuit brought by President-elect Donald Trump for comments Stephanopoulos made on-air in March.Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 18 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The series’s portrait of John, now a remarried grandfather, bears no trace of the litigious figure who hired Trump attorney L. Lin Wood early on to sue media outlets for libel.Alessa Dominguez, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2024
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In September 2022, PEOPLE reported that the star was dating another of his lawyers, Joelle Rich, who represented him in his 2020 U.K. libel suit against British tabloid The Sun.Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 2 Nov. 2024
Noun
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At the same time, the United States and Western allies have accused Xi of overseeing widespread human rights abuses, even claims of genocide, against the nation's Uyghurs through the use of mass internment camps, a charge the Chinese leader and his government have vehemently denied.Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024
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Endrick was also subjected to racist abuse on social media following Madrid’s 2-0 defeat by Liverpool last month.Guillermo Rai, The Athletic, 14 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The party says there will be disciplinary action — which could include censure, suspension and a ban — for those who violate the code.Hayleigh Colombo, The Indianapolis Star, 6 Dec. 2024
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Heinz removed the censure from his request and put forth a motion requesting investigations by the Arizona Attorney General’s Office and the United States Attorney for the District of Arizona into the sheriff's actions.Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 13 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Francis has long welcomed frank and open debates and even has welcomed criticism of his own work.CBS News, CBS News, 21 Dec. 2024
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The professional wrestler also gave a direct response to a user who appeared to be poking fun at people’s criticisms that her edibles were too accessible to the dog.Bailey Richards, People.com, 21 Dec. 2024
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 25 Dec. 2024.
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