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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of character assassination
The relentless character assassination of the West continues apace.
—
Abigail Anthony, National Review, 21 Mar. 2025
The character assassination needs to stop.
—Jovan Buha, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025
The former congresswoman was a target for character assassination and neo-McCarthyism by those who reflexively support endless interventionism and attempt to cancel dissenting views.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
The relentless character assassination of the West continues apace.
—Abigail Anthony, National Review, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for character assassination
Abigail Anthony, National Review, 21 Mar. 2025
The character assassination needs to stop.
—Jovan Buha, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025
The former congresswoman was a target for character assassination and neo-McCarthyism by those who reflexively support endless interventionism and attempt to cancel dissenting views.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
The relentless character assassination of the West continues apace.
—Abigail Anthony, National Review, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for character assassination
Recent Examples of Synonyms for character assassination
Noun
-
In a $500 million defamation and elder abuse action of their own, Smokey Robinson and his wife are now going after the four former employees who have accused the Motown legend of rape in a $50 million lawsuit.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
28 May 2025
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Baldoni responded with a $400 million defamation countersuit that named not only Lively but also her husband, Ryan Reynolds, their publicist and later Taylor Swift.—
Gemma Allen,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
Noun
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Will the media’s libel protection last in the age of Trump?—
Ashley Oliver,
The Washington Examiner,
15 Apr. 2025
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Wynn is a longtime friend of Donald Trump, who also has called for stricter libel laws.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
24 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The incident became public after the Department of Homeland Security released a copy of her 2021 restraining order petition citing multiple incidents of abuse.—
Erin Mansfield,
USA Today,
7 June 2025
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At the top Plus Extended tier, Bitdefender watches for abuse of your SSN, reports unauthorized change of address events, and scans court records.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
7 June 2025
Noun
-
Stupar declined to comment on the censure, referring any questions to Lynch, who is president of the board.—
Regina Elling,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 May 2025
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Libby filed her lawsuit against Fecteau to have the censure overturned on March 11.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2025
Noun
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So far, Trumps criticism of Powell doesn’t appear to have had any bearing on monetary policy, despite temporarily shaking the markets in late April when it was believed Trump might try to fire Powell.—
Simon Moore,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
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The top seeds cruised on the men’s side of the French Open and the scheduling of women’s tennis matches drew more criticism from a pair of American stars.—
Sam Settleman,
New York Times,
1 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Character assassination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/character%20assassination. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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