as in libel
the use of personal attacks or insults in order to undermine an opponent
the ceaseless mudslinging merely convinced voters that neither candidate was worth voting for
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Recent Examples of mudslinging
There’s also a fair amount of political mudslinging and backbiting.
—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 June 2026
The race for what is traditionally an administrative post requiring technical expertise has been marked by intense mudslinging this election cycle.
—
Ryan MacAsero,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
Sokoloff makes everything about Mejia I hate to keep making everything about Mejia since this is supposed to be about Sokoloff’s candidacy, but Sokoloff himself couldn’t seem to answer a question without mudslinging against Mejia.
—
Rafael Perez,
Daily News,
28 May 2026
All the mudslinging debates and the millions of dollars spent on attack ads might not matter for the six – yes, six – Democratic candidates still vying to be the top official in this bellwether blue state.
—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Mejia has criticized the donation, which already paid for a mudslinging ad against him.
—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
The film also contains archival footage of mudslinging and backbiting comments from several of the musicians about various members’ comings and goings.
—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
29 Apr. 2026
Ads largely were a mudslinging fest between Krishnamoorthi and Stratton.
—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
18 Mar. 2026
Wu trounced Josh Kraft, a son of the billionaire New England Patriots and Kraft Group owner Robert Kraft, in last year’s mayoral race, after a contentious campaign filled with mudslinging on both sides.
—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
11 Mar. 2026
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 June 2026
The race for what is traditionally an administrative post requiring technical expertise has been marked by intense mudslinging this election cycle.
—
Ryan MacAsero,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
Sokoloff makes everything about Mejia I hate to keep making everything about Mejia since this is supposed to be about Sokoloff’s candidacy, but Sokoloff himself couldn’t seem to answer a question without mudslinging against Mejia.
—
Rafael Perez,
Daily News,
28 May 2026
All the mudslinging debates and the millions of dollars spent on attack ads might not matter for the six – yes, six – Democratic candidates still vying to be the top official in this bellwether blue state.
—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Mejia has criticized the donation, which already paid for a mudslinging ad against him.
—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
The film also contains archival footage of mudslinging and backbiting comments from several of the musicians about various members’ comings and goings.
—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
29 Apr. 2026
Ads largely were a mudslinging fest between Krishnamoorthi and Stratton.
—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
18 Mar. 2026
Wu trounced Josh Kraft, a son of the billionaire New England Patriots and Kraft Group owner Robert Kraft, in last year’s mayoral race, after a contentious campaign filled with mudslinging on both sides.
—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
11 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mudslinging
Noun
-
Baldoni, who denied the allegations, filed a gargantuan defamation suit for $400 million against Lively and her camp, as well as a $250 million libel suit against The New York Times’ coverage of the claims.
-
Sabellico sued him for libel, arguing those comments were malicious and defamatory.
Noun
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Patton-Smith says that red-flag friend groups may foster cruel humor, social exclusion, jokes at others' expense, name-calling, or freezing kids out of activities.
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But the president didn’t stop with name-calling.
Noun
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Damien and Jessica O'Brien are charged with second-degree murder, torture and child abuse, according to authorities.
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Unfortunately, there’s always collateral damage from these abuse cases.
Cite this Entry
“Mudslinging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mudslinging. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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