mudslinging

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example 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 mudslinging Less than two years after their wedding, Harry and Meghan stepped down from their royal duties, amidst a bevy of allegations, mudslinging and familial tension. Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2025 Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani is calling on mayoral rival Andrew Cuomo to release a list of his consulting clients, even trying to tie Cuomo to Jeffery Epstein in a new video as mudslinging between the candidates ramps up. Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mudslinging
Noun
  • Harry has twice sued Associated Newspapers for libel, winning one case and withdrawing the other, while his wife Meghan has also won a privacy lawsuit against the publisher.
    Michael Holden, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
  • The country also still lacks a freedom of information act, and libel remains a criminal offense.
    Ashish Valentine, NPR, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • This kind of name-calling also signals a tendency to externalize and place blame, instead of looking inward at their own behavior.
    Dr. Tracy Dalgleish, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2025
  • The name-calling and the stupid AI and the imagery has got to stop.
    Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • McCrary's former partner cited concerns about the child's safety in his care, and the court ordered him to have monitored visitation and to attend classes on parenting and for drug and alcohol abuse and batterer intervention, PEOPLE reported.
    Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Oct. 2025
  • McCrary was ordered to attend alcohol and drug abuse and batterers’ intervention classes within 12 months and was granted visits with their daughter.
    Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Mudslinging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mudslinging. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.

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