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
This pattern of postmortem character assassination functions as a foundational tactic of modern autocracy.
—
Kyle Varner, Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2026
Cries of character assassination that the super smart Donnie would have to ask an AI algorithm for advice could be found all over Twitter.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 11 Dec. 2025
Fending off a character assassination?
—Usa Today, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
Roberts brings a jolt of invigorating fury to one of the movie’s strongest scenes, in which the mentor rips into her mentee in public on a campus square with a fully detailed character assassination.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for character assassination
Kyle Varner, Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2026
Cries of character assassination that the super smart Donnie would have to ask an AI algorithm for advice could be found all over Twitter.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 11 Dec. 2025
Fending off a character assassination?
—Usa Today, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
Roberts brings a jolt of invigorating fury to one of the movie’s strongest scenes, in which the mentor rips into her mentee in public on a campus square with a fully detailed character assassination.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for character assassination
Recent Examples of Synonyms for character assassination
Noun
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The Robinsons have denied the allegations and counter-sued the women for defamation and elder abuse.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
13 Apr. 2026
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The group has faced multiple defamation lawsuits from those who were fired; only one has been elevated to federal court.—
Mikayla Price,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Online filings show Harry and his friend, Mark Dyer, a former trustee at the charity, are being sued for either libel or slander.—
Brian Melley,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
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The court record shows Harry and Dyer, a former Sentebale trustee, are being sued for libel and slander.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Earlier that year, Orbán’s government was rocked by public furor over the decision by Hungary’s president, Katalin Novák, to pardon the deputy director of a children’s home who had helped cover up the abuse of underaged boys.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
12 Apr. 2026
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In some cases, these measures may even invite abuse.—
Mike Smith,
Denver Post,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Maybe another censure is warranted.—
Gary Franks,
Hartford Courant,
11 Apr. 2026
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The Washington County Board of Education approved the censure during an emergency meeting, following public calls to remove board member Keith Ervin and Superintendent Jerry Boyd.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Verbeek’s trade with Philadelphia to acquire Gauthier in January 2024 has been widely praised, but his decision to ship center Trevor Zegras to the Flyers last summer has received criticism while Zegras thrives in Philadelphia.—
Greg Beacham,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
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The sheriff previously declined to honor certain federal immigration detainers, drawing criticism from state lawmakers and prompting legislative changes.—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Whereas the initial narrowband signal might have a strong power across just a few frequencies, the smearing spreads that power across more frequencies, reducing the strength of the signal.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
8 Mar. 2026
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Black inks for the same printers tend to have less obvious smearing than the color ink, and many smear just enough to see a smudge, without harming readability.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Character assassination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/character%20assassination. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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