as in libel
the use of personal attacks or insults in order to undermine an opponent
the campaign quickly degenerated into name-calling rather than an intelligent discussion of the issues
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Examples 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 name-calling
And what is important is that there is a president who actually brings values and a perspective that is about lifting people up and not beating people down and name-calling.
—
Maya Marchel Hoff, USA TODAY, 11 Sep. 2024
Amid the name-calling, however, Scott Stephen of Glendale made a point that a few others echoed.
—Joanna Allhands, The Arizona Republic, 4 Sep. 2024
All around the world, political discourse has turned ugly—with a frequent focus on sophomoric and polarizing name-calling rather than a mature discussion of policy differences.
—Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2024
The Fed, for its part, stays largely out of the muck of name-calling.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 8 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for name-calling 
Maya Marchel Hoff, USA TODAY, 11 Sep. 2024
Amid the name-calling, however, Scott Stephen of Glendale made a point that a few others echoed.
—Joanna Allhands, The Arizona Republic, 4 Sep. 2024
All around the world, political discourse has turned ugly—with a frequent focus on sophomoric and polarizing name-calling rather than a mature discussion of policy differences.
—Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2024
The Fed, for its part, stays largely out of the muck of name-calling.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 8 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for name-calling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for name-calling
Noun
-
Rachel Weisz played you in Denial, the movie about your being sued for libel by a Holocaust denier.Karl Vick, TIME, 29 Oct. 2024
-
The initial libel case related to Robinson making false accusations against a Syrian schoolboy who was attacked in an incident shared widely on social media.Lauren Kent, CNN, 28 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
In reality, Arthur Watkins, this conservative Republican senator from Utah, chaired the censure committee and then was destroyed for it.Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 13 June 2024
-
In 2018, the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi at a Saudi consulate also stalled the promotion of Neom as Crown Prince Mohammed faced global censure and scrutiny over the incident.Angela Yang, NBC News, 25 Sep. 2024
Noun
-
Critics warn of potential abuse and the possibility of a black market.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
-
Breslin ran on a platform focused on reducing violent crime and reducing incarceration for nonviolent offenders with substance abuse and mental health issues.Sam Tabachnik, The Denver Post, 5 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near name-calling
Cite this Entry
“Name-calling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/name-calling. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share